Bad Romance
by RosieMcGuire
Summary: VanArchiBass. Serena marries against her will but Nate doesn't want to give up on her. And someone else is starting to fall for her too. Please r/r!
1. Comatose

**Author's Note:** This story is a long time in the making and before I start, I want to thank Molly for being my inspiration. She's probably the only other person who is going to read this. And I also want to let everyone know that it's the beginning of the VanArchiBass revolution. Hop on board and don't be left behind!

Additionally, I was to give a brief description of the story. In this fiction, Bart and Lily never married. Rufus and Lily aren't together (but they were in the past). Serena never left town and Nate never dated Blair. Bart is still alive and Chuck is still living in his shadow. If you had any questions, I'm more than happy to answer them. I really hope you enjoy. I'll work on getting an update as soon as possible. If only I could be paid to stay home and write!

Thank you again for reading and please review. I love to hear your thoughts, even the not so nice ones, just don't be cruel. ** Rosie

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**Bad Romance  
**Chapter One**  
**"Comatose"  
Written: 10/29/09

Serena Van der Woodsen was a beautiful girl from the very first day she was born. With movie star good looks and a smile that let her get away with murder, she often got anything she wanted and never had to work for the things she wanted. She never went without thanks to the many loveless marriages her mother had been through. When she had been a young girl sitting at the top of a marble staircase watching another would be father walk out, she made a promise to herself, a promise that she would never become her mother. How could a woman fake love and break all the rules of marriages just to get money?

Sure Serena understood the world spun on the green bills but wasn't there better ways to get that? And why hadn't she ever thought about the consequences of marrying just for media attention? For someone who always got what she wanted, today was a day unlike any other. In fact, it wasn't one she could have imagined in her wildest dreams -- or nightmares, for that matter.

She looked in the full length mirror in front of her and let out a small sigh. Two dainty hands slipped fingertips along the elaborate yet simple designwork on the front of her white dress. Her mother had scores of women and men flown in to fix her hair into soft waves that framed her face perfectly, and to apply makeup so it looked like she wore none at all. How had it come to this? Serena had always been a very headstrong girl. She knew exactly what she wanted and refused to settle for less. But somewhere along the way, she somehow landed on a road that led her here. As she touched her dress in the room that was finally empty, she thought about the first couple times she sat in a room just like this watching her mother dress. She remembered thinking how beautiful she looked, like a fairytale princess--and that maybe, just maybe, this time the frog she kissed would turn into an actual prince.

Serena scoffed at herself and let out a slow breath. Her frog wouldn't turn into a prince. He was just a frog, a self-righteous, stuck up, son of a bitch frog.

The large mahogany door behind her opened and a pretty waifish brunette popped her head in. "S.." Blair Waldorf. She and Serena had been on again, off again best friends since they could remember. She looked perfect dressed in a red, tea length Gucci dress. This really was real, wasn't it? Serena tried

desperatly to smile but it fell short of her typical grin.

"Hey B." Her voice sounded tired, almost like she was trying to find a way, any way, out of this. But she had months to find a way out and all her attempts had failed. When her mother first sat her down to discuss this option, Serena had given a very resounding and resilliant no. There was no way she would let her own mother talk her into being the one thing she refused to be. But she kept trying and trying and finally, when her mother offered her the one thing she wanted more than anything, she couldn't refuse.

Her eyes dropped down to the large diamond ring on her finger. She had officially sold out. It was beautiful but it was a lie. Even the staged grand gesture when that dark haired boy that she despised went to his knee in front of her and asked her to marry him. She had dreamed about getting married one day, when she was in love. This was more than backwards.

Blair made a small opening in between the door and the wall to slip inside the room. She held white fabric in her hands and bit her bottom lip. She knew the pain in her best friends' eyes and she wanted to make it better but she didn't feel it was her place to change the decision Serena had already made. This was the bed that Serena made and now she was going to have to lie in it. Blair just wished that she would have told her why she was doing something so.. stupid. Instead of blurting out her concens, she smiled. "I brought your veil." When Serena didn't say a thing, she tried again. "Turn around. Let me see you."

Despite the unfortunate circumstances, this was still her wedding. She'd always wanted to share this time before the wedding with her best friend so she turned and tried to push the impending nuptials out of her mind for the time being. It was her wedding day and damnit she was entitled to have some kind of fun. She turned slowly so the fabric didn't catch then raised her eyes to look at Blair. "Is it wrong that I actually like the dress?" HE had picked it out for her. One day a week earlier, she had found a large box on her bed with a card that read: '_I don't get to see you in it yet but I look forward to seeing you out of it_.' Yep. Definitely a full frog.

"Oh, S.." Blair moved her hand and touched her chest with it as she looked at the intricate stitching and the exquisite details of the dress. It was incredible. "Not at all. It's lovely." It looked like it had been made just for her and no one else. It fit every curve of her body perfectly like the hands of a lover.

Her lips gave a small tug into an even smaller smile as Serena lowered her eyes and looked over the dress again. Part of her was really nervous. There were so many guests in attendance and she was going to have to walk out there and lie to them all with a pretty smile on her face. But go figure that Blair would be able to bring a smile to her face even though all the muck. Picking up the bottom of her dress, Serena stepped down from the circular box and then opened her arms.

In moments, Blair was stepping in and gave her a tight hug. "It's going to be okay, S." She rubbed her hand along Serena's back and held her a little closer then usual. She knew this wasn't what Serena wanted but what was she supposed to do about it? Absolutely nothing. "I'm always going to be right here." She meant every word of it, but she also knew that it was something Serena probably needed to hear about now.

Unbeknownst to either of them, the door had opened again and a flustered blonde woman stood in the doorway. "You better not be crushing that veil. It was specifically made to match that dress." Lily van der Woodsen was tall and sometimes intimidating, especially when she had that exact look on her face. She was stoic, strong and steeled from the many loveless relationships she's been in throughout her life. She walked in the room, heals clicking on the marble floor as she walked up to the two embracing teenagers.

Her daughter was a fresh faced eighteen year old that was about the make the best move for her life. The merging of these two families would bring about an amazing media tidal wave. Then with all the added interest, his company would take off and if the girl was smart, she would stay married to him for as long as she could manage and get herself a comfortable life. He was more than able to provide her with that. One day her daughter would learn that silly little ideals about love and marriage were just fairy tales parents tell thier children. The world didn't care if you were in love. It would stomp you right into the ground, but if you had money and power, you could have everything.

She waved out her hand to break the two up and took the veil from Blair's hands. "You need to line up. It's just about time."

Serena wanted to beg Blair to stay but she had made a big girl decision and like it to not, she was going to have to live up to her end of it. When Blair turned to look at her, she just smiled. "I'll see you out there." she said softly, leaning in to kiss her cheek and whisper a 'thank you' into her ear.

Reluctantly, Blair nodded and turned away. She didn't even give a glance towards Lily. She was sure that woman had something, if not everything, to do with this whole horrible situation. Now she had more important things to think about however, like how to look happy in the pictures when she knew it was killing her best friend to do this.

Watching Blair leave was difficult, but the second the door shut, Serena felt a part of her go cold. She turned from her mother and stepped back up on the box to look at herself in the mirror. It had been a long time since she could talk to her mother like she was just a mother. It seemed now more like she was talking to a publicist. They didn't care about how you were feeling, they just cared about getting things done. Her face stoned slightly as she brushed her fingers through her hair and set it forward over her shoulders. Then she held out one hand, not even making eye contact with her mother. "Can I have my veil?" She just wanted to get this overwith.

Lily stepped forward, ignoring her daughter's cold tone and outreached hand easily. She walked around Serena as she pat down the Mantilla veil and went to work despite being sure that she was the last person her daughter wanted right now. "I know this isn't what you wanted, but you have no idea how good this is going to be for you. It seems hard but it's not. It's just a signed piece of paper, that's all." Well one day, Lily surmised, one day Serena would understand.

Maybe when she had children of her own. Then her mind went alight with the thought of giving these two powerful families an heir. She played it over in her head as she fixed the veil on top of her daughters golden locks. "There." She said finally, pulling the ends over Serena's shoulders. "It's perfect. You make the most beautiful bride."

Serena couldn't stand her mother sometimes. "I really think you don't get to be the beeming mother when you're the one who forced me into this in the first place."

"Oh come now. Don't be so dramatic." Lily shook her head. "I didn't force you into anything. You're a big grown up girl, Serena. You made this decision yourself. I just presented it to you."

She was shocked at how cavalier her mother sounded. Then again, when you spent your life used to no one loving you, maybe your heart just dies. "If you see a difference." After this, Serena didn't want to see her mother again for a long time. She looked at the older woman in the mirror with a surly expression crossing her features. "You know I want to find my father more than anything so you used it against me to make me do this."

"No darling, that's where you're wrong. You had every oppurtunity to say no."

Serena's jaw clenched, "You said you'd tell me where he is if I did this."

Lily nodded slowly. She hadn't the heart yet to tell Serena that she wasn't going to hold up her end of the bargain. But she wouldn't have to, not until a year had passed. That gave her plenty of time to think of something viable. Just as Lily opened her mouth to speak, a knock sounded at the door. Perfect timing.

However, Lily looked towards the door like a bug. "What?" she hissed.

The voice that came from the other side of the door made Serena's stomach tighten into a million knots. With her mother long forgotten to her, Serena pulled up the dress so it didn't brush the ground and walked towards the door. She pushed it open and peeked out. After checking both up and down the hallway, sure it was empty, she pushed the door open the rest of the way and stepped into the open arms of Nate Archibald. She crushed herself against his chest and couldn't even find any words.

The two of them had been tapdancing around a relationship when she had accepted the marriage proposal of another man. Nate had actually been the only person she told about the truth behind the deceitful marriage. She couldn't stand the heartbroken look on his face when she told him about the wedding. It had been a hard pill to swallow at first but Nate hadn't been able to ditch the feelings he had for her. And walking away was out of the question. Just seeing her again sparked that fire inside of him to life, flames licking at every part of him. With her in his arms now, he could only let out a shaky sigh. Seeing her in a wedding dress, walking down the aisle to marry a man that wasn't him was going to be very difficult.

Having to pretend he was happy about it would be even harder.

His blue eyes closed and while his mouth was close to her ear, he whispered through the veil. "You look stunning." He wanted to ask her to just run away with him, right now, but he had to respect her decision. And he kept reminding himself it was just for publicity, and would end after a year. Then they could go on with each other, the way he saw it.

"You're ruining her dress." Lily's voice was like a punch in the stomach.

The last thing Serena wanted to do was let go of Nate. He made her feel safe when he held her, like nothing in the world could touch them. She was reluctant to let him go at all but after a moment, she stepped back out of his warm embrace. Instantly her body felt cold, skin begging to feel his touch again. She ignored her mother's presence entirely. Instead she let herself dive into those incredible, oceanic eyes of his. She felt consumed and wanted nothing more than to take this dress off and let him touch every last part of her body. But the wave of desire was ebbed by the beginning notes of the wedding march she heard echoing down the hallways of the ornate building.

She hesitated but forced herself to speak. "I have to go."

Nate looked down at his shoes for a moment and then back up to her face. He had to pull himself together. He had to do things right. She wanted to do this, needed to do it, and he would let her. But that didn't mean he was going anywhere. He was still madly and passionately in love with her. "I know." He said finally. "I should probably be up there with the other suits anyway."

But neither of them moved. Neither of them wanted to, and for the tiniest sliver of a moment, Lily could see what she was putting her daughter through. She had been in love once herself. You felt alive as though you'd never lived before. Every breath you took tasted sweeter than all the others before this feeling consumed you. But she had to push that away. That wasn't what she was going to focus on. Love didn't pay bills. Love didn't give you a good home, or power, or safety. Money did. Wealth. That's what really mattered in this world of the elustrious Upper East Siders.

"I don't want to do this." Serena whispered to him, hoping that her mother couldn't hear. These words were just for Nate. He was the only one who mattered in this moment, the only one who's feelings she cared about. Serena was resilliant. She could take all the slings and arrows on herself and still get up and stand tall, but when someone she loved was hurt--it was her kryptonite, her only real weakness.

"I know." Nate said again, but there was no stopping it. He slowly brought his hand up to the side of her face beneath the veil and touched her cheek. It was warm and pink from a blush that sprinkled along her face. His thumb rounded the apple and then turned back down. He let out a small sigh. "You really do look beautiful." She had completely taken his breath away. Slowly he leaned and tilted his head to the side so he could press his lips against the other side of her face. For a moment though, he just rest there, his head against hers.

All too soon, he was moving away and gave her a smile that she could tell he was faking. The edges of it were dipping down and it looked cracked. It didn't even reach his eyes, which was where he always smiled. As he disappeared down the hallway, her mother soon took her place. "Now come on. It's time."

Closing her eyes, Serena wished that she would have some sudden revelation. That somehow she would just know what she needed and she could call this whole wedding off. But nothing came to her. Everything was blank and she was out of options. "I'm ready." She said, taking a slow breath and letting it out. She raised her chin as she was taught and she walked from the bride's room to the open doors. Eric was waiting there for her and smiled as she walked up to him.

"Does this mean I have to call you Mrs. Bass?" He asked jokingly to get a small laugh out of her.

"Why are you so weird?" She asked with another giggle. That was much better.

Leave it to her brother to make her laugh before doing something she wanted nothing more than to run away from.

Eric smiled and offered his arm to her. Of course there was no father to walk her down the aisle, but there would be for the next wedding. Serena was sure of that. She would be married for one year, get divorced and her mother would tell her where to find her father. Then when she was ready to marry someone for real, he could escort her down the aisle. They rounded the corner and looked in at the hundreds in attendance. Her mother called that a 'small reception'. Flowers decorated the ends of each row and candles were used instead of sunlight. The melody from the pianist hummed through the air like millions of butterflies flapping thier wings. It was tender and romantic.

Amidst the whispers and gasps of aww, Serena smiled and started to walk slowly down the aisle. She followed the line of flower petals up towards the bridal party that stood in wait for her. She saw the supportive smile on Blair's face but found herself turning to look at Nate who had made it back in line. He was handsome, like an actor in old black and white films. Timeless.

_Timeless_, Chuck Bass thought. That was the word. As he watched Serena walk down the aisle, he realized that she looked absolutely timeless. He had never seen her in this kind of light before. And so what if this was a fake marriage, he was sure she would still be held to fulfilling her wifely duties. He suddenly had a strong desire to discover what she wore under the wedding dress. He could already imagine kneeling in front of her, her ankle on his shoulder as he slowly slid the garter down what he was sure were long and soft legs.

A grin crossed his face, almost the same smart ass, self satisfying smile that he always wore. Perhaps this whole year wouldn't be a complete loss. He was, afterall, getting a ton of media attention, which would shine brightly on his new business venture. And it also seemed to impress his father who sat in the first row with a smile on his face that Chuck hadn't seen in years. Good. This definitely wouldn't be a complete waste.

At the end of the aisle, Eric gave his sister a kiss on her cheek and then held her hand out to Chuck, who curled his fingers around hers and lifted her hand to his lips. "You look good enough to eat." Then he feathered a kiss on the back of her hand but never took his eyes off of her. It was all a big game, and nobody knew how to play that game better than Chuck Bass.

"Touch me and I'll knee you so hard, your pathetic excuse for manhood will pop out of your mouth," she hissed quietly while never dropping the happy smile from her face. She had alot of practice pretending to be happy.

Chuck grinned even wider, "Sounds kinky."

Game on.


	2. LoveGame

_Author's Note: I may not be able to update for a week or so. Blame work. We have like, nine people in the store total, one is MIA this week and the other is about to have a baby so my schedule is all kinds of messed up. But I'll write as I can. This chapter was named for Lady GaGa's song. It doesn't belong to me. Please enjoy and I look forward to reviews. Thanks again to Molly for being my sister in VanArchiBass love!! ** Rosie_

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**Bad Romance  
**Chapter 2: LoveGame  
Written: 10/30/2009

The wedding had gone off without a hitch. Shadows were cast along the walls, flickering like ballet dancers of the night as the two unfortunate teenagers cast a spell over the crowds with thier lies of eternal love and immortal romance. Chuck Bass was a strong man who never would admit to needing anyone, let alone a woman, to help him accomplish everything. But his father had made a valid point.

While his business may have been a success without the wedding, it was all the more amplified by his portrayal of being an actual human being. He could love just like the rest of them, at least that's what he led them believe. Did it matter if the relationship fell to shreds in twelve months? Absolutely not. By then, his business will have taken the world by storm. Sometimes, his father had said with a very straight face, you have to be willing to go the distance for the thing that you truly desire. What Chuck truly desired was to overcome his father's accomplishments, to show the man that he didn't need him to be a success.

He was well on the way to achieving that.

His dark eyes shifted over the crowd of people conversating and a small grin befell his stoic good looks. To his right was the woman he had just made his wife, a beautiful creature named Serena that he had thought long and hard upon. As the preacher spoke upon thier nuptials, his mind had gone aflurry with the things he planned on doing to that magnificent creature. The wedding may have been a hoax but he surely expected to take more from her than just the title of first husband.

He wasn't blind, nor stupid. He had witnessed those sideways glances that she had given to his best man. And while that hardly bothered him, the thought of losing a woman, any woman, to one of his friends was unbearable.. and utterly unnacceptable.

She looked incredible as she sat upon her throne at his side. The white lace fabric clung to every part of her exquisite features and he had the sudden and desperate urge to indulge himself in everything that made her the quick tongued woman she was. Her hair framed her face like the halo of an angel but he thought of nothing more than perverting that heavenly creature and consuming every inch of her. Now it was a game, and Chuck Bass never lost a game.

His eyes scanned over the crowd once more before the lightbulb went off above his head. It wasn't scripted but he decided it would be all to easy to make this moment seem even more precious than it was meant to. He stood, his black suit tailored to perfectly fit his body. Raising a glass, he lofted a spoon from in front of his plate and tapped it against the glass a few times, the metal rapping like a sirens song that gained the attention of everyone in the large reception hall.

Serena turned as she heard the sound and looked towards her newly acquired husband. Her hand went over and it seemed like the flesh burned as she curled her fingers around his hand. 'What are you doing?" She hissed. This wasn't part of the plan. They were supposed to sit here for another half hour, then share a candlelit dance together before retreating into thier private suite to indulge in what the crowd was supposed to believe a romantic and passionate night together--when in truth, they would have seperate beds and Serena had already planned on spending most of the night looking through the gift registry and marking off the items they'd received to decorate thier new home. A speech had no part of this.

Chuck's expression never wavered as he looked at the beautiful blonde bride and then moved his hand from her touch. He averted his gaze back to the crowd with a glass of champagne between his fingers. "Friends, family, honored guests.." He began, knowing that somewhere inside of her, he was sure Serena was freaking out wondering what he was going to say. In fact, he kind of reveled in the feeling of having that kind of control over her. He considered letting her flop around like a fish out of water for awhile longer but the expentant look of his father had him easily nixing that idea. "I would first like to thank you for being witness to this blessed event, where I took my precious lover's hand in marriage. To be honest, I never saw myself the marrying type.."

It was all part of the game, as he looked down at Serena to continue his speech.

"But the moment I met my beloved, I knew that I would spend every moment of the rest of our lives devoted to fulfilling her every desire." Every last one, he thought, as he stole a quick glance at his best man.

Nate Archibald. Hadn't he gone through enough? His eyes were darkened with the words that Chuck shared to the expectant crowd. He desperately wanted to jump up and for a moment, he played with the image in his head. He could see himself interrupting this perfectly concocted speech and shedding the light of truth among the guests. He imagined taking Serena into his arms and dipping her low as he kissed those warm, supple lips. He could see himself leaving with the bride and taking her to an island far away where they wouldn't have to deal with a single moment of this nonsense. But when he blinked, he was still seated beside Chuck--the man who'd just married the girl who was quickly becoming the woman of his dreams.

Chuck's voice broke through all the thoughts Nate had, and they seemed to do it happily. "The funny thing about love is that you're willing to give up the world for that one person. It doesn't matter what they want, you just know you want to give them everything, anything, just so you can see that wonderful, breath taking smile hinged upon thier lips." He finally turned away from Nate, wondering if he got the message.

But in the end, Chuck realized, it didn't really matter if Nate got the message.

Because in the end, nobody made a fool of Chuck Bass.. and while the marriage wasn't a legitimate union, he had every right in the world to make sure the the vows they had taken were honored.

He turned dark eyes to his beautiful bride and the smile that crossed his lips sent chills along Serena's spine. She had known Chuck Bass for years, and she more than knew that look that was hanging upon his face. It was the look of a man who just won, or who had everything in place to make sure he did. He wasn't a man to be messed with, Serena thought, and while she understood that, she wasn't going to let herself become intimidated with him. She had signed the papers that needed to be signed and in the end, she was only promising to parade around with him and act as his wife. The rest was up to her, and she wasn't going to let him control her.

As he spoke, her eyes widened slightly just to give the impression that she was pleased with everything he said.

"That's what I promise here today, in front of all these witnesses, my love." Chuck knew he was laying it on thick, but he saw the looks the members of the crowd shared. For a moment, they were unsure, but then they turned up into the wistful glances of women who were taken by his undeniable charm. After all, Chuck Bass always got everything he wanted. "Serena. I promise to you today and for the rest of our days, that you will always be the most important thing in my life. I made you my wife and I will dedicate the entirty of our time together to making you happy."

Bullshit, Serena thought, but she pretended to swoon. That's what a normal woman in love would do anyway, right? Just one second passed as she imagined it was Nate standing before her, speaking those words of love and loyalty. But Chuck raised his glass and the image was ripped away.

"To my beautiful wife, Serena." He cheersed. It was perfect, and he knew it was perfect. Though seeing the small nod from his father, he knew he had performed above par. He was going to make sure to do everything he could to make this union appear real. He would make sure that everything they stood up for today did exactly what it was supposed to.. and that was to boost sales. His business would have no problem flying off the ground.

As the crowd joined him in his cheers, he lowered his free hand to Serena's and brought her to a stand before leaning in. He was close to her ear and he was sure no one else could hear his voice beside her, "You're going to enjoy being Mrs. Bass."

Her face wanted to stay stoic. She wanted to push him away from her but she certainly couldn't do that in front of everyone. So instead, she smiled and closed her eyes like he was whispering the sweetest of nothings into her ear. The sound of his voice was thick with masculinity and it wrapped around each word before sliding into her ear. Every letter was rich and heavy. Grinning, she whispered, "It's not real, Chuck."

He gave a devilish grin as he thought about the fact that she couldn't step away from him. He knew all eyes were on them so she would have to go with whatever he did to her. His hand lowered to the table and put the glass of champagne down before moving it to her hip. He tightened his grasp there a bit and hissed in her ear, "You forget a very important fact, S."

God how she wanted to smack him away.

She was sure that everyone was still watching them, thinking they were sharing in on a part of thier intimate moments. In reality, she felt her skin burning through her dress at his touch, a touch she wanted absolutely nothing to do with.

"Oh?" She asked, calming her fingers before they could make a scene and smack along his face. "And what's that? You have to pick up some antibiotic cream on the way home?"

That was one thing that Chuck would give her. Serena van der Woodsen was very spunky. She could fire right back and him and he liked that. He also liked that there was hate between them. In his recollection, some of the best sex he'd had was centered around angry, heated moments that led to flimsy fabric being torn away.

He thought about that. He thought about being at home with Serena, trapped in another endless battle. He could see the way her face reddened when she was angry, and how her eyes clouded with rage. He could picture himself stepping in to her and ripping her clothing away from her breasts so he could taste the sweet flesh as his hands invaded the rest of her body.

The image of him pushing into her petite form with such ferocity and passion made him want to explore that option right here in front of all the guests. But instead, he kept it inside. Now wasn't the right time but when it was, he would take advantage of it. Tightening his hand at her waist, he heard her make a little mewly noise that spread his grin a little wider, "I'm Chuck Bass. I always get what I want."

After a moment, he loosened his grip on her side and brought his hand up to grasp the back of her neck. His free arm slung around the small of her back and before she could stop him, he dipped her backwards and planted his mouth hard on top of her lips. Her hand instantly went to his shoulder, meaning to knock him away, but the sounds from the audience reminded her they were there. Goddamn that asshole Chuck. He knew she wouldn't turn him away, couldn't turn him away. She had half a mind to knee him between his legs but she didn't. She had to play along, she reminded herself. The hand on his shoulder went from pushing to grasping, tightening fingers around the fabric of his suit jacket.

One thing she knew about him was that he never did anything half assed. So when he kissed her, there was more to deal with them just his lips on her mouth. He had to keep pushing and when she felt his tongue against hers, she made a sound of protest that only came out like a moan.

Chuck knew exactly what he was doing, and he could already feel the hatred burning into his back but it didn't matter. Nate and Serena had kept thier little beginnings of a relationship a secret so he couldn't be held liable for what he did. Even knowing his best friend was an onlooker didn't stop him. He pulled Serena's body a little closer to his and deepened the kiss. He tasted her against his tongue as the fingers resting on the back of her neck tangled into that nest of golden waves. The sounds she made only served to excite him more. He was a hunter and she would be his prey. Despite the desire to continue this, it was a personal philosophy of his to always leave them wanting more, so he pulled her to a stand and ended the kiss. As he pulled away, he whispered, "I look forward to our wedding night."

What was she to do?

Her stomach was a ball of knots and she could taste the champagne he'd sipped on his tongue but she couldn't pull away. She went with it. She pretended that all the hate and anger was love and adoration. She pretended it wasn't Chuck she was kissing, but Nate. She pretended a million different scenarios to get her through that moment and when it finally ended, she was surprised to find herself light headed.

Narrowing her eyes as he spoke, she growled, "Go to hell." Serena knew her lipstick was smudged but all thoughts of makeup slipped away when she noticed movement at the corner of the room. Her eyes followed the line as she watched a head full of dirty blonde hair walk out. Her pulse pound in her ears as she looked over to his chair. Maybe that was someone that just looked like him. But her hope was squashed when she saw his seat was empty.

"Looking for someone?" Chuck asked with an amused tone in his voice.

He knew exactly what he was doing, Serena realized, though it shouldn't surprise her one bit. "I hate you so much right now." The fact she kept her face light and happy led the crowds to believe she was really just smiling, that she was sharing sweet promises with her beloved. Ha, far from.

Chuck couldn't help the devilish smile that stitched itself across his face. "Don't worry. You'll love me in the morning." Once I get done with you, he added to himself.

He had thier place already set up in the days that led up to the wedding. He'd considered having roses and candles lit up but knowing Serena, she would probably prefer just getting bent over thier expensive living room couch.

"You're disgusting." Serena hissed as she turned from him and pushed the chair out from the table. She and Nate had had this discussion about what was going to happen. They had talked about the fact that from time to time she would have to pull a photo op with her fake husband and kiss him, but she hadn't thought that Nate would walk out. Suddenly there was a violent storm brewing inside of her and she wondered if this would be a deal breaker. There was a big difference between talking about what he'd have to see and him actually seeing it.

She excused herself from the table and walked towards the other exit so it wouldn't appear as though she was actually following Nate. But she had to talk to him. She had to know if he was okay, if they would be okay. For a confidant girl, she was very unsure about herself when it came to love.

As she walked through the halls looking for him, she wondered just how selfish she was being. This was going to hurt him so badly and she had just expected him to accept it and deal? A year was a long time. What if he couldn't wait that long? What if he didn't want to wait that long? What if it wasn't worth it? She walked along the halls with that thought hanging in the back of her head but she couldn't find Nate anywhere. One of the ushers who stood outside near the door Nate had left through noticed her and she cleared her throat before walking over to him. "Excuse me.. did you see where the guy that just walked out that door went?"

The man standing there looked like he was in his early twenties, probably college aged, trying to make some extra money to pay for his classes. Maybe this party wasn't completely worthless. He nodded, "Yes ma'am. He went back in, just a moment ago."

Serena thanked him and then went to the door and opened it. Sure enough, Nate had gone back inside and was now standing in the front of the room with one hand on Chuck's shoulder. "There she is." Nate said as he looked in her direction. She had gone looking for him. Now Nate really wished he had stayed out there, but after getting a moment of air, he knew he had to get back inside. He was the best man, afterall.

Swallowing the knot in his throat, he stared at Serena and ignored the urge to run to her. "I--I was just saying that Chuck is the kind of person who has to do things right.

Even if that means giving the best man speech at his own wedding reception." The comment brought a giggle from the collective crowd and Chuck nodded, mentioning something about how you had to do things yourself if you wanted them done right.

Nate just smiled and looked down, trying to hide the hurt that swirled in his eyes. He knew Serena was looking at him and he wanted to be strong. He wasn't weak. He wasn't a wimp. He wanted to be with her and if she had to do this, he was going to have to get used to seeing them together. Besides, it didn't mean anything to Serena and that's what he really cared about. "What I'm trying to say is.." Finally he looked up and closed in on Serena as she just stood there looking so beautiful. "If Chuck picked you to be his wife, then I know he's going to be good to you always. He'll treat you the way that you deserve to be treated and loved. He promised that here today, in front of all of us."

It was starting to hurt too much looking at her and saying these things he didn't believe so instead he averted his eyes towards the crowd. "Chuck doesn't know how to fail."

It amused Chuck and while he knew that some part of him shouldn't be so amused that his friend was hurting, it was good to know that on some level, Nate realized that he didn't stand a chance. Smiling whole heartedly, Chuck raised his glass, "Truer words have never been spoken, Nathaniel."

Nate finished his toast and downed the rest of his drink. When he pulled out his seat, he watched Serena walk behind the table, eyes all for him. Unable to keep his hands off of her, he guised the gesture as a simple greeting between friends.

"Congratulations," He started to say as he took her hands and leaned in. He kissed her cheek and then whispered, "I'm not giving up."

He knew that look of unsurety on her face and he wanted to reassure her. Even if they couldn't manage more words, he at least wanted her to know that he wasn't going anywhere. They would find a way to be together. It wasn't like he thought Chuck was going to become a one woman kind of man. Chuck was too much like his father, and his father had taught him to indulge himself in a wide variety of women. Nate gave her hands a soft squeeze before turning away as if nothing had happened. He took his seat but left Serena staring for just a moment before she

pulled herself together.

She faked the smile and took an offered glass of champagne to tap against Chuck's, pretending to look just as overjoyed about this as he did.

"To you." He said before downing his glass.

Serena just watched him for a moment and as much as she wanted to splash her drink in his face, she had herself thinking about that kiss. It was just a fleeting thought but left her feeling guilty until she reasoned that she only thought about it because she had imagined it was Nate she was kissing. That was the only thing that made sense, so she accepted it, raised her glass and then sipped her drink.

_To one year_, she thought.


	3. Kill The Lights

_**Author's Note:** I would again like to thank everyone who is reviewing this story, and those who have added it to thier alerts. I'm so incredibly excited that other people are into this little three some of characters as much as my friend Molly (DiamondMolls) and I are. Long live the VanArchiBass revolution! Also, for those of you who are interested, here is the wedding dress that I had picked out for Serena (for some reason, it doesn't put the link up so I'll have to do it the ghetto way): www. storybook bridal boutique .com/Wedding-Dress_01 .jpg (now just erase the spaces) _

This chapter is the first that I start exploring more sexual things and start working to live up to my M rating. If you are offended by sex or sexual exploration, you may want to turn away from this chapter. For all the rest, I hope you enjoy. This chapter was a surprise. I didn't expect it to be up so soon but.. well, let's be honest, when Chuck Bass wants some attention, he gets it. *Shrug* He's good like that. Anyway, Happy Halloween every one. Enjoy!

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**"Bad Romance"**  
Chapter Three - Kill The Lights  
Written: 10/31/2009

After the reception, Serena and Chuck had walked out together and even made a show of him carrying her over the threshold of thier room. Everything up to this point had made it the wedding of her dreams. The gown had been perfect, the flowers were beautiful, the candles breathtaking. Everything, except for him. He was the only part that didn't fit into her daydreams. If she had been asked a few months ago if she ever thought she would end up in this position, she would laugh right in thier faces. Married at eighteen? That was a stretch in and of itself considering Serena had made no plans to marry early when she was a little girl. But to marry Chuck Bass? That was even more rediculous.

Not one part of her wanted to think about Chuck, or look at him. No, she just needed to relax. Spending the day pretending that she was the happy lover of one of the most self centered son of a bitches on the planet was where she drew the line.

With a light blue silk robe knotted around her long body, Serena went to the bathroom and turned on the water for the tub. She scooped some crystals from a glass holder beside the tub and dumped it in the currents of water. The crystals immediately turned to multihued bubbles that filled the tub just as quickly as the water did. Leaving it to finished filling, Serena stood in front of the mirror and felt like a calm was sliding over her body. A long, hot bath would be the perfect way to spend the evening after this incredibly long day.

She took a hair tie between her fingers and pulled the golden waves into a bun, piled atop her head. Once she finished wiping the makeup from her face, she went back to the tub to turn the faucet off. Steam rose from below the bubbles so Serena dipped her fingers in to feel it. It was so hot it gave her arm chills but that was exactly how she liked it. She'd always loved bathwater to be hotter than normal.

Wiping her fingers on a handtowel, Serena then went to the radio settings and turn on some music to help her relax. She lit a few candles and then turned the bathroom lights off entirely so just the flicker of the scented candles lit the room. Turning towards the bathtub, she pulled at the strap of her robe until the knot came undone and the pieces fell to her sides. A grin fell across her lips as she thought about Nate. Just two weekends ago they had gone away together. He stood in front of her in a bathroom much like this, brightened only by tea light candles on the sink. She remembered that his breath against her skin made her tremble. Then he untied her robe with one hand and let it fall open.

Swallowing hard, she closed her eyes for a moment and remembered the way his fingers felt on her warm flesh as he drew them along her body to slip the robe completely from her body. Without realizing it, Serena moved her hand to the hallow of her neck and could feel her pulse through the skin as it started to race. She could see remember how he felt when he slipped the robe from her body and pulled her into the shower with him. The warm stream of water contrasted the trembling cold her flesh felt whenever he moved his touch from her.

Taking a breath, Serena slipped the robe off of her body and let it fall to the ground at her feet.

He had been walking past her room when he heard the music and hadn't been able to wrangle in his curiousity before it led him into the bedroom she had claimed. He said her name but got no answer at first, so he just followed the sound of the music. He found her bra and panties discarded on the bed and it did nothing to sate his curiousity.

Wetting his lips, Chuck looked in the line of the bathroom door she had left ajar. Instantly he felt his breath catch in his throat. He watched as the silk robe slid down the line of her back, over the curve of her ass and then to the ground. She stood nude for a moment and he couldn't take his eyes away from her. She looked flawless with the candlelight flickering off her body. The shadows danced across her skin like the hands of a lover.. hands he wanted to make his own.

He watched as she stepped to the bathtub and lifted one long leg to step over the end of the tub. Her weight shifted and he heard the water swish as she lowered herself into it slowly. The flickering candle light had been helpful at first but now it was keeping him from seeing along the front of her body. Still he watched. She sat straight up at first and moved her hands in and out of the water, bringing the bubbles up and letting them slip down her shoulders. He was intrigued. He wanted to go in there and wrap her legs around his waist. He could take her right in that tub with the water splashing around thier bodies.

He would proove to her that they would really make the best of this year.

His hands went to his belt buckle, about to pull it open, but he stopped and grinned when he heard a soft moan that he knew hadn't come from the music she had filling the room.

Serena shifted slightly and sunk down under the bubbles. Her eyes closed and her mind floated back to her shower with Nate. Usually they made passionate love with longing stares and desperate touches, but that time had been different. It was almost like he would have exploded if he didn't take her. Once they were in the shower, the steam making it almost difficult to breathe, he pushed her back against the cold tile wall and crashed his mouth upon hers.

She didn't realize she had moaned as she relived the memory. Her lips parted and she felt her chest tighten with desire. Slowly, she moved her hand slowly and drew her finger along her outstretched neck, then down between her breasts and slowly over her stomach.

She thought about his mouth against her, needing to take every part of her. Then he had moved so quickly, she barely knew what happened before it was her chest against the wall. He pulled her a little so she could bend more before he made one long thrust to move him inside of her. She remembered how he filled her completely, trapping her in between a rush of desire and a wall that wouldn't give.

She let out another cry and wasn't completely certain it was just from her memory. Her hand and finally found its spot between her legs, fingers still teasing and rolling along her flesh. Her stomach tightened as she let out a raspy breath and remembered how his body felt pushing against hers over and over again. Her whole body had jerked each time and her hands tried to claw thier way into the wall as she cried out again, louder this time, the feeling of him pushing her closer and closer to that cliff.

Then he hooked his arm around her body and pulled her back against his chest. One hand went to her neck to hold her there as the other found its way between her legs. Serena was imagining now that it was Nate's hand working her, making her part her knees. Her parted lips trembled slightly as she remembered the way Nate's heated breath rasped by her ear, grunting as he came closer to his orgasm. She was just a slave to this feeling. Between his thrusts and his fingers touching her, she had been gasping in breath with her own orgasm bubbling inside of her, quickly filling her like a cup of coffee that was about to overflow it's cup.

She wasn't paying any attention, Chuck realized as he stood beside the bathtub, watching Serena as she touched herself. It did something to Chuck. Of course he was interested, he was male, that one was easy. But he had a pretty good idea who she was thinking about as she touched herself, and he wanted to change that. He wanted her to think about his touch when she indulged herself. Grinning, Chuck rolled up her sleeve and then slowly lowered himself to his knees beside the tub.

The water was moving in small waves along with her movements, he was sure. He watched her face for a moment and noted how her cheeks reddened and the sound of her breath rasping as she got closer to a release. He saw that her left hand had curled around the side of the tub and then noted where the tops of her knees peered out of the water. He had to watch the angle if he wanted to do this right. Wetting his lips, Chuck started to make his move. He was careful as he slipped his hand slowly into the water so not to make any disturbance.

He kept his eyes on her face as he moved deeper until he just barely skimmed her knuckles.

She arched, mind stuck on her impending climax, both the one with Nate in her mind, and the one here with herself. She hung her head back a little farther and it felt like she was rocking on a boat in the middle of the ocean. She had been thinking so deeply about Nate's hand on her and his hardness inside of her, that for a moment, she didn't think a thing when she felt a strong male hand slip under hers and start rubbing her. The motion was in quicker, smaller circles that brought her gasping. The touch pressed down a little harder and it drug that climax out of her.

Serena pressed her hand down on Nate's, both in the shower in her memory and now in the tub as she brought her knees closed and just rasped, trying to catch her breath as the heat rolled over her again and again. Her toes curled and her heart pound so hard in her chest she swore it was going to break out of her ribcage and spill across the room. "Oh my God.." Her voice was nothing above a whisper as she started to work herself down from that incredible release. "Mm, you have no idea how badly I needed that, Nate."

Wait.. _Nate_?

Chuck was sure he hadn't seen anything more arousing then what he'd just seen. Her body had arched as she came and he got to watch. He got to feel. He got to bring her to that climax. The smile stuck on his lips as he heard her whisper the name he knew had been on her mind. Well it wouldn't be from now on. Actually, he couldn't be sure of that. But he could be sure that she would never touch herself again without thinking about the time he had been the one to take over and touch her.

It was a thought that made him grin, even as he watched her eyes snap open. "Surely you remember my name, S." Chuck said nonchalantly. "After all, it would be a shame if my wife screamed another man's name on our wedding night." He was sure that she would plan a way to get back at him but Chuck Bass was up for any and every thing.

That heat started to turn to ice as she finally realized what had happened. Her cheeks went red, stuck somewhere between the remnants of her orgasm, the embarassment in her realization and the anger at his actions. Her eyes widened and she instantly grabbed his wrist and pushed him away from her. How could he have been the one touching her and she hadn't known? How was that possible? "Oh my God, Chuck! What are you doing!?" She screamed as she looked around for her robe. It was too close to him.

"Pleasing my wife." He said simply as he picked up the robe he saw her search for and hold it out to her.

Serena snapped it from his grasp immediately and pulled it to her chest so she was covered as she hissed, "You sick, son of a bitch. I may be your wife but that _absolutely does not_ mean that you get to have sex with me, and it most _definitely _doesn't mean you get to touch me." She pulled the thin flimsy material of the robe closed over her wet body and only managed to soak it. She crossed her arms over her chest and felt slightly sick to her stomach. She looked at him as he just stared at her, "What the hell are you looking at? Get out!"

He had expected that much as least, so he stood slowly with a devil may care smile on his face. "Perhaps you should be honest with yourself and place your anger where it really belongs."

Why was she even indulging him? "Oh? And where's that?"

"Yourself." Chuck said simply. He watched her face as the expression changed but he continued before she could say anything. "Because you're the one who allowed me to touch you. Trust me S, no one is that deep in thier fantasy they let someone they despise get them off." He could tell how angry she was and in his experience, when you upset her and mixed in some embarassment with that, she tended to strike out. So Chuck was ready when she swung her fist towards him. He slipped back a little but she must not have seen him moving before all her weight had been in that strike. Her body turned slightly and her foot slipped. It sent her off her feet and falling over the edge of the tub.

Chuck reacted and threw his arms out to catch her. The momentum sent them both to the ground but he mostly broke her fall. Oh shit. "Serena, are you--"

"Don't you _dare _ask me if I'm okay." She growled, putting her hands on him and pushing him once, twice, three times as hard as she could to get him away. "Just get out. Leave me alone, get out!" She felt so foolish and more, she was scared. What if he was right? Had she known that he was there? Her hand cupped along her cheek and wiped at her face, feeling hot angry tears fall down from where she sat as Chuck left the room.

On the other side of the door, he stood there for a moment. He considered feeling bothered by making her upset, but then he pushed that aside and instead, focused on everything he had accomplished today. He had made out with her and now touched her and watched her orgasm. It was incredible, he thought, but that wouldn't be the end of it.

Touching wasn't good enough. When Chuck Bass wanted something, he wanted all of it.  
He wanted to own every part of it, and that's exactly what he planned on doing.

Without a second thought, he walked out of the room to pour himself something to drink.

Serena waited for the longest time to leave the bathroom. She had blown out the candle and turned the music out but she just didn't want to see Chuck. She knew he was like a snake, he could sense her weakness and she didn't have the strength to put on her brave face. But almost an hour later, she finally sunk out of the bathroom and changed into her nightgown, sure to pull her socks on-- Her feet always froze during the night-- and she crawled into the bed. Chills ran along her skin until the blankets finally warmed with her body heat. After pulling her hair down, she reached for her cell phone on the bedside table and quickly flipped it open.

She dialed the number by heart and held the phone to her ear.

She listened to the ringing and internally begged for him to answer the phone. When she heard it roll to voicemail, she still listened to Nate's voice and the tears filled her eyes. She was finally realizing what she got herself into. At first she had thought a year would be nothing, but now she worried it would be a stretch. When the phone beeped, she didn't say anything for a minute, trying to decide if she opened her mouth whether she would bust out in tears or be able to speak without falling to pieces. "I--" But her voice caught and she had to clear her throat, "Hi. It's me."

Why aren't you there? Why aren't we talking? I need you.

But she didn't say any of those things.

Across town, his phone beeped to alert him of the voicemail but Nate wasn't completely sure he could handle talking to her right now. Once he had left the reception, he spent a limo ride home with his friends, listening to them take bets on how long they thought it would be until Chuck had impregnated her.. and whether they started to rip at each other the second they stepped in the room, or if he lit candles and put out roses.

It was so hard for him to hear everything they say and then pretend that he had an opinion on it. He had laughed at thier jokes and managed to get through the ride home but now he just needed to clear his head. He wasn't trying to punish her, but when his phone rang and he saw her name, he knew that if he spoke with her, he wouldn't be able to contain himself. He'd go back there right now and drag her out of that place to somewhere far far away. He had promised her when she told him about the engagement that he would accept that she felt like she needed to do this. He also told her earlier that he wasn't giving up on her, and he meant it.

More than anything, Nate just needed to deal with his feelings, which a big bottle of Jack Daniels was helping him through. So, he rationalized, he couldn't answer her call right now. Tomorrow.

Tomorrow would be better.

_  
Would tomorrow be better?_ Serena worried. Was she stuck in perpetual hell or would it get easier once the novelty wore off? She couldn't be sure but she knew one thing for sure. There was no way in hell that Chuck would ever get that close to her again.

Oh he was sure that he would get close to her again. Sitting in his chair with a glass of brandy in one hand and his eyes on the fire, Chuck replayed the sound of Serena's gasping cry and he knew for certainty.

He would have her again.


	4. Devil In Me

**Author's Note:** Okay so this chapter is about one hundred words shorter than the rest of my chapters but I figure that's not that bad. This chapter does get a little dirty but I've tried to keep things as calm as I could. Also--I want to announce to all my readers that because I want to stay up on both this story and my "Sway" BL fic, I decided to do one chapter for this, then one for the other, then back again. So I'm not giving up on either, just keeping both of them updated at a fair pace.

As always, I want to thank Molly for being my sister in VANARCHIBASS love. I hope you enjoy!

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Devil In Me

_"Don't speak, don't breathe, you bring out the devil in me" - Kate Voegele_

Serena sat in front of her bedroom window and looked out at the city below. The lights had always made her feel like she was at home, but she knew things weren't going to be the same. She had seen that look on Chuck before and she knew that he had no plans of making this easy. She let out a longing sigh and looked down at her cell phone that still hadn't rung. She was mentally willing it to light up and display Nate's name. She wanted to hear from him. She needed to hear from him.. more, she needed him.

Every part of her was crying out for him.

Her eyes closed and she tried to tell herself to just relax. Nate had to watch her marry another man and pretend to be happy about it. He said he wouldn't give up on her and that meant he wasn't going anywhere. He just needed some time, that's all. She had to just let him have his time and not go all psycho and call him every ten minutes.

No, she was secure in their little, budding relationship. She just needed to trust him.

Having grown into a family where her own absent father sent her mother into the loveless arms of other men, she knew well enough that she had never trusted a single one of those men. Serena surely didn't want her relationship with Nate to turn out like her mother's man marriages.

So, trust was the only way to go.

She trusted him.

Though, considering she couldn't get him out of her head, when she heard her bedroom door open, she jumped and whirled to it with an excited, breathy whisper, "Nate?"

Her face fell when she saw it was Chuck. She groaned and rolled her eyes, "I thought I told you I didn't want to see you."She flopped back down in front of the window and leaned her elbow on the sill, her chin rest against her palm. "What do _you_ want?"

Chuck saw the look on her face and the flicker of hatred in her eyes. He considered for a moment just leaving. No one had ever had this effect on him. No one had made him feel like this. It was the strangest thing he'd ever experienced and he was utterly fascinated. He ignored his feelings of retreating and walked further into the room. "You realize that's the second time you've assumed I was our dear friend Nathaniel." He watched her as he closed in but she didn't move. He took another step, "What's going on between the two of you?"

What a complete ass, Serena thought, not looking away from the window once. "What makes you think I have to answer you?"

"You're my wife," He hissed in an icy cold tone that brought chills to her spine. His hand slid over to rest against her shoulder. "I own you."

That made her eyes widen.

She smacked his hand off of her shoulder and stood, an angry blush stretched across her face. "_Excuse_ me?" She growled once she stood. He was far too close for her liking so she pushed him back as hard as she could.

He stumbled.

"What the hell did you just say to me?" Serena had spent some time thinking and if she was going to survive the next year, she would most definitely have to learn how to play his games better than he did. And the first rule was that you never let anyone hold you under thier thumb.

Especially not a Bass.

Chuck's face had gone starkly serious as he stared at her. How dare she! Then he pushed forward and grabbed her by her neck. "I _said_," he growled, "since you musn't have heard me, is that _I. own. you._" He had fire in his eyes and he wasn't taking a no. He wasn't taking her fighting, so when she opened her mouth, her hands against his chest, to protest, he crashed his mouth on top of hers.

Serena didn't know exactly what to do. She felt like all her walls crumbled to the ground at her feet and she was left scraping to put them back up again. He lowered his grasp from her neck to her hips, then slipped his hands against her ass. Then he lifted her from the ground and swung them around. He tossed her down on the bed and climbed on top, letting his hands spread across her body to illicit any moan he could from her.

Once her mind caught up with her body, she struggled against his grasp, "Chuck.." She turned her head to the side to get away from his mouth. He wasn't swayed as he turned his attention directly to her neck. "Chuck! No. Stop it. Get off of me!" She pushed against his chest. What the hell was she doing? How had she ended up kissing him like that?

She had only one conclusion: He was much more addictive then she had assumed, which meant he was more dangerous then she'd thought.

Chuck didn't particularly mind her squirming against him but he protests were annoying him. Snaking his hand up along her body, he gripped the hair at the nape of her neck and gave it a sharp tug which silenced her. He looked at her face, a mix of anger, pain and excitement.

Perfect. His voice was silky smooth as he whispers, "I can do whatever I want to do to you." He kissed her bottom lip and then bit it lightly. When he heard her moan, although she tried not to, all he could do was smile. "What's that I see?" He asked.

Slowly he let go of her hair and moved back a little so he could see her better. She stared at him and couldn't look away for the life of her. Good, he thought. That's what he wanted. "You like this." He clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth three times, tisking her. "Does your precious Nathaniel know you like it rough?"

It wasn't a question that needed to be answer. Chuck really didn't care one way or another.

Sitting back on his heals, he put his hands on her legs at either side of his body and moved them up slowly. He watched his fingers touching her cool flesh, hearing her breath hitch in her throat as his fingertips touched the end of her robe. He started to push it up slowly, watching her face as it reached higher and higher on her body.

Serena trembled with the feelings that exploded inside of her. She may not like Chuck Bass but she wasn't able to move away from him. She stared, her stomach tightening into impossible knots as she felt her robe rise over her hips. When his fingers curled against her panties and started to lower them, she put her hand on his. "Don't.." But she didn't even sound too sure of that.

Chuck hesitated for a moment, just one moment. Then he whispered a quiet, "Shhh.. It's okay."

No, it wasn't. Or was it? She was so shook up that she didn't know what to do. She didn't know if she should push him away or just lay back against the bed. Her bright irises followed him as he lowered himself between her legs once her underwear was out of the way. She latched on to his eyes and felt butterflies flitter against her chest and stomach as he started to taste her...

**...Serena** let out a gasp as she flew up in bed, her pulse racing in her neck. She felt a cooling sweat on her skin as she tried to catch her breath. She looked around the room with wild eyes. She saw the same window she remembered looking out of. Her stomach was tight and her body thrummed full of life, heart pounding in her chest loudly enough for the world to hear, she was sure.

A hand pressed against her arm. "Serena.."

She let out a surprised cry and for a moment when she turned, she thought she would see Chuck. Her eyes fell on Nate's unkempt hair and bare chest and could only let out a sigh. Her hand pressed over her heart. "Oh, God. Nate. You scared the hell out of me."

His face turned in concern and he moved closer to her. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to." He leaned against her back and kissed her shoulder while rubbing her arms. "Are you okay?" He asked, "It sounded like you had a pretty interesting dream."

Her face flushed. Dream. She remembered fighting with Chuck and then kissing him. She remembered his words, the snake-like way they slithered from his lips. She remembered the way it felt to have him consume her, and she'd been so sure that it was real. Just a dream, she told herself. Dear God it was just a dream. Was that better or worse? She could now recall the night before the way it really happened.

Nate had come over when she called to tell him Chuck was going out of town for the night. He snuck in at almost midnight and spent much of the night holding her and kissing her. When the sun first started rising, he made love to her and held her, whispering how much he missed her into her ear until she fell asleep.

Serena shook her head, "Yeah. Something like that." She let out a breath and looked over at him. "Hey, how about some breakfast? I'm starved." She watched his face light up and it made her feel like it was a good idea to just forget about that stupid dream after all. It was _just_ a dream. And she _had_ just argued with Chuck. And she'd _just_ made love to Nate. Somehow it all just got messed up in her head. That's all it was. "You stay here. I'll serve you in bed.'

She leaned in and pecked his lips, but as she pulled away, he reached forward to grab her arm and pulled her back. "I'm not done with you." He whispered as he caught her lips against his.

The kiss absolutely took her breath away and she was sure she couldn't feel her toes. Nate had always been an incredible kisser. There was a passion that she couldn't deny and, quite frankly, didn't want to.

She giggled against his mouth as his hands slid into her hair. "You're insatiable." She smiled and let breakfast fall into the back of her head for a moment. Her back pressed against the blankets as he rolled them so he was on top of her.

"Only when it comes to you." Nate whispered, his voice heavy with both sleep and desire. He drew his fingers along the line of buttons to unsnap them. She looked incredibly sexy in his shirt, he thought, but she would look better out of it. So he peeled it from her body and so he could kiss her bare body. Her skin was like silk, soft and delicate to the touch, but he knew she was anything but delicate. She was strong, opinionated, and it was one of the many reasons he was falling for her helplessly.

"Nate," she whispered his name with a soft sound of pleasure. "What about breakfast?"

He cared so little about breakfast that her mention made him chuckle. "I'm looking at mine." He said suavely as he took her mouth against his and pushed his boxers from his body. The sheets twisted around thier bodies as he let himself have her for the second time that morning.

* * *

Serena felt completely contended as she walked down the hallway towards the kitchen. She hadn't felt like this in awhile and it was a feeling that she just wanted to roll around in for the rest of her life. It was like nothing could hurt her, nothing could be better. She breathed a soft sigh as she padded slowly into the kitchen and started to rifle through the contents of the refridgerator.

She already had plans to stay in that bed for the rest of the day.

A throat cleared behind her and she grinned, "What are you doing?" Her voice was light and happy as she turned, but all that dropped in an instant. "Chuck!" Her body stiffened and the bowl she held fell from her hand, crashing loudly on the ground. "What are you doing here?"

Chuck all but knew that look on her face. He wasn't a fool. And he hoped that she knew he was well aware what was going on. He wanted her to sweat it out. In the meantime, he played it cool. "Well I do believe we live here.." He walked over to her and knelt in front of her legs, taking his time to pick up the fallen plate. He couldn't help but stop to look at her long legs. He had wondered what they felt like the day of thier wedding and that feeling hadn't changed. But Chuck Bass had more self control then that.

He looked up the whole length of her body with a devilish smile on his face.

She could feel the look spread across her body like he was actually touching her. She swallowed the knot in her throat and then reached down and grabbed the plate from him, putting it down on the table as she walked around the counter, tightening the robe closed against her body. "I--I meant what are you doing home? You said you wouldn't be home until late."

He looked at her floor, smirked and then rose. "Is that the thanks I get for cutting my trip short so I can spend some time with my new wife?" He looked towards the hallway, sure he'd just heard someone. He wondered if he should go looking or just wait for her to spontaneously combust. He preferred the latter. It would be more exciting for him.

"Chuck.." She shook her head. "This is ridiculous. We're not _really_ married."

"That's funny. I _remember_ getting married. And I sure remember signing a marriage license." He grinned, unable to hold it in.

Serena just stared and then let out a breath. How was she supposed to get out of this? Dear God please don't let Nate walk out here. "Don't be like that, Chuck. You _know _what I mean."

"Chuck, hey!"

Her heart jumped in her throat and she looked wide-eyed to Nate who just walked into the room.

Chuck turned as well and looked at the person he half-expected to see. He was however surprised to see him fully clothed. "Nathaniel," he said smoothly. "To what do we owe this pleasure?" He turned to look at Serena for a moment but she was looking away. She certainly was not a very good actress.

Nate wasn't stupid--and he wasn't deaf. When he had started to meet up with Serena, he'd heard Chuck's voice and knew he had to do something. Quickly she snuck into Chuck's office and left a note before quickly dressing. He looked at Serena when Chuck wasn't looking at him and then he started to walk further into the room. "I just had lunch with Tripp around the corner and thought I would stop by to see how married life is treating you."

"Serena said you were out of town on business." He stuck his thumb back towards the hall, "I just left a note in your office."

A smirk crossed Chuck's face, "You could have called." He shrugged and added, simply, "I could have been wrapped up indulging in my new bride." Even though he knew what was happening, he still walked over to Serena. If she was trying to pretend they were legitimate, he could at least let Nate fell a sharp stab. He curled his arm around Serena's waist and pulled her close. "Isn't that right, sweetheart?"

Serena, who had been wanting to say quiet, had to keep up the facade, even if she was sure Chuck knew what really happened. She knew he wasn't foolish. But she plastered a brilliant smile on her face and put her hand against his chest. "Absolutely. You should call next time, Nate." Her eyes projected an apology to Nate that she tried to hide from Chuck.

For a moment, Nate imagined Chuck actually touching Serena and it made him want to throw him through the window. Instead he nodded, "I'll be sure to do that." Then he smiled and walked towards the door.

Chuck pulled Serena a little closer and let his hand slip down to touch her ass. He felt her tense and it was enough for him, for now. "Hey Nate.." Once his 'friend' stopped, he let go of Serena and walked towards him. "Let's give my wife some time to pull herself together. We can take a walk and catch up." He turned back to Serena and smiled, "You don't mind, do you?"

She just shook her head, "Have fun."

That was too close. She let out a breath and escaped into her room. She wasn't very hungry now.

* * *

** I hope that you are enjoying! Thank you for staying tuned and please review. Good or bad, just don't be cruel. Thank you! ~Rosie**


	5. Strange and Beautiful

**Author's Note:** I have a much more relaxed schedule next week so I should get more updates done. I'm glad you're enjoying. And thank you to everyone who leave me reviews. I'm so glad to know I'm not the only pervy person out there.

On a side note: This is the longest chapter I've written for the story so far. There's only Chuck/Serena in this chapter. The next chapter will be only Nate/Serena. Enjoy everyone!

UGH! and IDK if it's all italicized or not. None of these scenes are flashbacks, in the event the whole thing shows up in italics.

* * *

"Strange and Beautiful"

_"I'll put a spell on you  
You'll fall asleep  
I'll put a spell on you.."_

Serena had an arm full of bags, and that wasn't the only shopping she'd done. Daniel, from the front door, stood beside her with a pile of his own. He held at least double what she had on her. Most likely more. But the truth was that Serena used shopping as a way to escape from the things she was going through. Ever since she was a young girl, her mother used to take her to a slew of stores whenever she was upset. Sure it wasn't effective parenting but shopping was definitely a stress reliever.

Lately Chuck has been hanging out with Nate as much as he possibly could, which left no time for her. She knew that he had an idea what was going on but he didn't have solid evidence. Which in the Bass mind, meant he had nothing. She knew exactly how he worked. He saw everything as a game and until using this information would benefit him, he would keep it quiet. She was safe until then.

When the bell rang at her door, she walked into her home. It was beautifully put together. That's something she never took into consideration until now. She used to assume that it was nothing for her to have a nice home to come back to, but now was the first time she really noticed the incredible details the decorators had put into the place. Her heals clicked on the marble floors that she knew had been special ordered from Europe. As were the couches. And on nights like these, when it became cooler in the evening, there was a warm glow from the flickering fireplace.

Why hadn't she noticed sooner?

Taking a breath, Serena motioned towards the couch. "Just put the bags down there, Daniel. Thank you." She slipped a one hundred dollar bill into his unexpecting hand and, as he left, she placed her own bags down.

At first it had just been jewelry that she concentrated on. But once she purchased some diamond incrusted necklaces, she developed the spark of purchasing. She and Chuck were well off so spending a couple thousand dollars was no big deal. She went from jewelry to clothes, to home furnishings. The latter would arrive at their home the next morning.

She was pleased with all that she had purchases. There were perks to being married to a Bass. The Bass name was like a credit card in, and of, itself. She could attain anything she wanted. She could go anywhere she desired, and it wasn't because she was a van der Woodsen. No. It was because she was now a Bass. One simple mention of the name and she was given everything she could want.

Smiling, Serena passed the bags left on the couch and wandered through the apartment. She was heading towards her bedroom for a long, hot.. shower. Not bath. She had memories of what happened last bath. She had tried taking a bath the day before but it was useless. Everytime she closed her eyes, she expected to feel Chuck's hand against her. Every time she opened her eyes again, she worried she'd see him next to her. No, a shower would be much better. And maybe locking the bathroom door would be a good idea too.

But as she opened her bedroom door, she heard a deep, masculine voice that stopped her. She recognized the voice and should have just walked on but something stopped her. She started to follow the sound of that booming voice down to the end of the long hallway. Her breath caught in her thoat as she recognized it. Bart Bass, Chuck's father.

He sounded so angry.

Chuck's office door was just barely opened so Serena let curiousity take over. She stepped in and peeked through the crack. The tension was so thick she already felt like she was choking.

In the chair behind the desk, Bart sat, flipping through papers. "Don't give me that shit. I don't want to hear about your plans, I want to hear about what's being done. I want to hear that my son didn't just get a wild hair up his ass and actually thought this through."

Chuck stood across from the desk--his desk, he thought. But he wasn't going to mention that. He never could find the courage to stand up to his father. He was used to hearing the yells, so he didn't flinch. "As I showed you in my reports.." He started to speak but looked up, wide eyed, when the loud bang of his father's hand on the desk. It trembled under the smack.

"These reports?" Bart questions as he holds up a bunch of papers. Then he laughs and crumbles them in his fist. "These reports are rediculous. You don't have the capability of making something like this happen." He shook his head and walked over to the fire, tossing the papers in. "You're just too young to understand. Or too stupid."

"I'm not stupid," Chuck said under his breath.

But Bart didn't seem to hear it. He just walked up to his son and put his hands on the younger boys shoulders. "You need to stop wasting time on things that you'll inevitably ruin. An underground, seedy club?" He chuckled condescendingly and shook his head. "You can't do this, Chuck." After a sigh, he added, "I'm pulling out of this project."

Chuck looked up and he felt like his dreams were being trampled. This was all he had been able to think about doing for the longest time. If his father pulled out, it would really deter the whole thing. How does it look when Chuck Bass's father revokes his support for Chuck Bass's hotel? "You can't."

"Son," Bart gave his arm a small squeeze. "There are rules to good business. And the first rule is to not be associated with a sinking ship. It may look good on take off but nobody gets thier money back when it hits an iceberg."

All he could do was stare at his father.

And he didn't need to say anything. Bart turned away, got his jacket and once he pulled it on, went towards the door to leave. Serena watched him and quickly stumbled backwards as the door opened. Bart only hesitated for a moment before nodding at her, "Mrs. Bass." Then he walked away.

Serena couldn't believe was she had seen. Did Bart always talk to Chuck like that? While she herself may have had some hairbrained ideas in her life, her mother surely never reprimanded her for them like that. She watched Bart walk away but she didn't know what to say to him, if anything. What did you say to one of the most powerful men in the Upper East Side? Instead she stood. When he was finally gone, she looked towards the office.

With the door open, she could see right in.

Chuck sat in his leather chair and stared into the fireplace, where the flames easily ripped away everything he'd dreamed of for that hotel. It was empty, ready to be remade, now it was going down with the fire. He sighed and while he wanted to pretend that Serena wasn't there, he could see her outline in the doorway. "If you're going to stay, you could at least get me a glass of brandy."

The words still hadn't come to her and when he spoke, she knew she had a choice. She could either blow him off--assume that Chuck Bass was just getting his come uppance for being an asshole ninety nine percent of the time, or she could react the way she felt like she needed to react. And that wasn't to walk away.

She stepped into the room and walked over to the tray with the crystal container and two glasses. On the bottom was a small ice bucket. Quietly she poured two fingers of brandy into the crystal and then slipped two cubes in it. She'd seen him with this drink before. Couldn't go wrong, she figured.

As she brought it over to him, Chuck watched her. She was acting like a real wife. He was sure the moment would pass but he wanted to enjoy it for a moment. He took the glass and sipped the amber liquid. He stared into the fire again and leaned back. "You're quiet." He said softly. "Don't let my father's foul mood upset you."

After waiting for words, they easily spilled out now. "Why do you let him talk to you like that?"

"You wouldn't understand." This wasn't any of her business anyway.

"Then make me undertand." She said, walking around the desk to look down at him.

He took his time raising his eyes along the length of her body. He saw the way her dress curled over her hips and rose along her chest. He was sure the fabric was silky, tender to the touch. But that wasn't what this was about, he reminded himself. Pushing them away, his voice is low as he whispers, "It's between me and my father. There's no way to make you understand that."

It felt like a punch in the gut.

She thought of the father who she had been trying desperately to contact but it felt like he just wanted nothing at all to do with her. Maybe he was right. She didn't have a father, not for real. So how was she supposed to understand if she didn't have one? Instead, she nodded once. "Okay." She was trying here. She was trying to be nice, trying to understand, trying to give him someone to talk to.. God only knows why. "Fine. Forget it."

Then she whirled on her heals and head towards the door. It was stupid to think, and a very stupid thing to do. He was Chuck Bass, and that meant he didn't need anyone. She could only sigh as she head to the door. Serves her right for trying to be nice to a Bass.

Chuck watched her go.

He was better alone anyway.

* * *

As much as she wanted to, Serena couldn't get that conversation out of her head. She sat in front of her vanity as she pulled a brush through her hair. At first, she was cursing him for not accepting her, for not letting her talk to him. Then she felt sad, and now she felt pretty confused. Maybe there was a reason why she didn't have her dad around.

What would happen if she met him and he treated her the way Bart treated Chuck?

She had such high expectations for her own father but he didn't want a thing to do with her. Maybe that was the real difference. Because with her dad, he didn't want to get to know her before he made up his mind about her. Bart at least knew his son. Which situation was worse? The father who didn't want his daughter without knowing her, or the father who didn't want his son, despite knowing him?

She had been so wrapped up in dreams that she hadn't heard him say her name.

He just assumed she was ignoring him, so he stepped into the room and looked at her sitting at the vanity.

Her eyes raised to look at his reflection in her mirror. She put her brush down in her lap and just stared at him. She didn't have anything to say to him. He made his choice about thier situation. She tried to open up to him and he practically slapped her extended hand away.

Chuck was hoping that she would say something but when he saw the look on her face, he knew that she wouldn't. It was up to him. He realized that he didn't have to do this, but he wanted to. She had reached out to him and he had been very unresponsive but that's how Chuck Bass handles things. That's how he always has to handle things. He never had someone ask about it before.

Chuck had always just been the guy at school who got the girls, and anything else he wanted. No one had ever expected anything more from him. Slowly he walked up to Serena. He went to put his hand on her shoulder but hesitated and dropped it at his side instead. "My father's always like that. He's business minded, Serena. I'm used to it."

She hadn't expected him to mention his father. She half figured he'd come in, make a few sexual comments, get her to yell at him and then leave with a cocky smirk on his face. "That doesn't mean it's right." She said softly, finally taking her eyes off of his reflection and looking down as she drew her slender fingers along the soft bristles of her brush.

He couldn't say anything at first. He knew that it wasn't right. He knew how families were supposed to be. He's seen enough real ones in his life. And he also knew that if his mother was still alive, maybe they would be one of those lucky families. Just maybe.

He lets out a slow breath. "I want to show you something." The look on surprise he sees crossing her face actually ends up making him smirk. "Will you come with me?"

Serena knew that she could say no. She knew that she could very easily tell him to screw off and get out of her room. Why would she have to do anything he wanted her to do? But there was something about him, maybe it was because he asked. She couldn't be completely sure but she ended up nodding slowly, "Okay."

Chuck moves his hand from his side and holds it out to her. He watches her, knowing that she was hesitating. He didn't completely believe she was going to take it so he just waited. And he actually saw something pretty amazing. He saw her change her mind and look up at him again. Something tightened in his chest as she placed her hand in his.

* * *

"Oh my God, Chuck."

Her eyes widened as she looked around the empty building. It was beautiful, even in it's deterioration. She could imagine what it had been once upon a time. A high class hotel that wealthy citizens would dress up to attend. Men probably smoked cigars and drank whiskey while thier female counterparts showed off their new fur shaws or diamonds. Back when a hotel was a rare experience.

Serena stepped further into the room as Chuck explained the layout of what he wanted to do.

He smirked in amusement as he saw the stars in her eyes. She could see what he saw and he hadn't expected she would be able to. Not many people had. But she could. It was incredible to him. "Beautiful, isn't it?" He walked towards a corner of the room and swept his arms out. "And I want to put a bar right here with a champagne fountain."

Serena had never heard Chuck this excited about anything. She's known him for a long time but he never got excited. Not like this. "It has so much character." She added. "It sounds like everything you want to do will be a throw back to the way this place was when it first opened."

"Funny you should mention that." Chuck said. "There will be a very exclusive club in the basement, only for specific guests. The kind of places you need passwords and keys for."

She shook her head slowly as she ran her hand along the dust covered handrail on the winding stair case. "Leave it to you to make that sound romantic."

He smiled as he turned to look at her. He was a little shocked with himself. He didn't do things like this, let alone with someone who was only pretending to be his wife for this business directly. He rubbed his hand on the back of his neck. "I just thought you should see first hand why we're married. I want this to take off." Even if his father wasn't going to support it, he'd been thinking that he could just spin the story, make it that his father was pulling out so he could do this all on his own. Some sort of coming of age thing. The media would eat that up.

Blonde hair fell in Serena's face as she nodded, "I'm glad to know this year won't be spent in vain. It's going to look beautiful, Chuck. You don't need your father for that." She spun to look  
at him. She had literally never seen him this happy before. He'd have to be. This place was unbelieveable.

He could feel his face stretching slightly, starting to widen that smile, so instead, he held up his fingers to signal her to wait a minute. Then he went behind one of the sheets. "When I first walked into this hotel, I pictured what it looked like when it first opened. Up-scale, fancy, then I saw this ballroom."

Out of seemingly nowhere, Serena heard an old timey jazz song start playing. It was slow and piano heavy. As the notes swam around the room, she could see the lights and the polished wood as if it was already completed. People talked and laughed, had the time of their lives for a whole night. Before she realized it, she felt a hand on her wrist. Bright eyes turned to the side and she looked at Chuck who was suddenly beside her.

"You can't get the whole experience standing still." He said as he took her purse from her hands and placed it on a table. Then he moved his hands up to her shoulders and slowly stripped the coat from her body. Her arms were bare and he was captured by the way her skin looked through the moonlit windows.

"I'm--" Serena's breath caught in her throat as he slid the coat from her body. She wasn't comfortably with him that close. She kept flashing back to the afternoon in the bathtub, or the dreams she's been having. She didn't like being this close at all. "--I can't, dance.." She said the words so easily that it almost sounded like the truth.

He stripped out of his own jacket and placed it over hers on the table. "Don't worry." He said, his voice thick as velvet, and just as smooth. "Just follow my lead."

The music filled the room as he stepped in. He hooked his arm around the small of her back and pulled her against his chest. He could feel her nervous breath on him. He tenderly takes her hand and brings it up to his neck. "Hold me here." He whispers, then takes her other hand in his.

Serena felt her stomach tightening as she held herself against his body. What in the world was going on with her, she wondered. Was she really dancing with Chuck Bass in an empty hotel? But the music was intoxicating and as much as she refused to admit it out loud, she wasn't hating their arrangement as much as she had at first. But that's not something she'd say outloud. Ever. She was messy with her steps, not sure where to move, so she kept her gaze on the ground, trying to predict where he would step next.

It was Chuck who moved his hand from her back and lifted it to tap her chin. "Eyes up here." As she turns her head up, he curls his fingers into her golden locks. They're just as soft as he thought they would be. Slowly unwinding his fingertips from her hair, he runs his palm along her ribs, down lower, and to her hip.

She felt like she was trembling but couldn't be sure. All she could manage was to stare at Chuck and feel his hand on her as it finally slipped up to the small of her back. But she was sure the line of his touch was burning. It sent her pulse racing.

Her eyes stayed on his as they moved around what was once (and would be again) an elaborate ball room. As the song slowly came to an end though, they stopped moving but her hands didn't fall from his body. She didn't waver away from his touch, not once. She still couldn't stop staring.

When she noticed his body shifting just the tiniest bit, she swallows the knot in her throat. Did she stand there? Did she run away? Did she smack him and leave?

As he leaned in, all he can wonder is if he was making a mistake. He never had to wonder that before, not once. If he wanted something, he got it. He never had to worry about the object of his affection running away. But something was different, soemthing was changing, and he couldn't control that.

"Chuck.." she whispered his name almost like a question as his lips were just about to touch hers.

He isn't ready to leave this moment. Not yet. "I won't tell." He said back to her in a soft voice. He gave her a moment to say anything else but she didn't. He felt her body trembling against him so he tightened his grasp on her then caught her mouth with his. Her lips were soft, softer than he had thought they would be.

It was innocent, the kiss. That was alot more for Chuck then he'd ever done before.

The kiss parted and all Serena could do was stare at him. He shouldn't have kissed her but she couldn't say why. She couldn't tell her husband he couldn't kiss her because her boyfriend wouldn't like it. Besides, she should be telling him not to kiss her because she didn't like it. But those words never came from her lips.

He saw the questions in her eyes as he cupped the side of her face and kissed her again. He didn't want her questioning. He wanted her feeling. He needed her feeling. If she questioned, she'd be gone.

This time when he leaned away from the kiss, he drew the pad of his thumb across her bottom lip. He could see her trying to find something to say so he interrupted so she didn't get the chance. "You're cold." He whispered. "I'll get you home." Then, as surprisingly difficult as it was, Chuck moved away from her. He took his jacket and after unplugging the music, he went towards the door. "Are you coming?"

Serena was just stunned. What just happened? Was it another one of her dreams, or had he really just kissed her? She moved her fingers to her mouth, touching her lips softly. No, that definitely happened.

Her chest tightened as it took a moment for her to gather her things.

While Chuck waited for her in their car, he couldn't get his mind off of that kiss. He had hoped it would have quenched his thirst to have her but instead, it just made him want her that much more. He leaned his head back on the seat and closed his eyes. He was so screwed.


	6. Mad World

**Author's Note: **I want to say that I had no plans on writing all of this tonight. Honestly. I have work early in the morning and while I was waiting for my BFF to get online, I figured I would write a little so that when I get home tomorrow, I could finish. But wow, this chapter really just took off for me and I ended up completing it. So I really hope you enjoy reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing it.

I also want to preface this chapter by saying there are some adult situations that I've been careful about. I want to handle them as nicely as I can for the time being. If you don't feel comfortable reading sex, skip on over the second part of this chapter. For everyone else, I really hope that you like it. As I said in the previous chapter, this one will be centered solely around Nate. There's no Chuck in this chapter, aside from some thoughts. I'll get back into all three of them as the chapters progress.

Also, this is a VanArchiBass novel, in case you haven't heard before. So some of it may be a little unconventional but I truely hope you can all open up and love the VAB as much as I do.

**edit:** I didn't really edit this at all so there are probably a ton of mistakes. I was just excited to get it up so please excuse the mistakes!

* * *

Bad Romance

Chapter Six

"Mad World"

Serena had no idea what she was doing. How had things gotten so confusing in such a short period of time? Her eyes closed as she stood on the elevator. Her finger dangled from the button that slowly closed the doors around her. Finally, solitude. Lately she felt like she was in the middle of a huge crowd, as wild and emcompassing as the sea. She was drowning in all of it. She just needed some time alone.

She tried not to think about that night with Chuck in the hotel.

He had been so gentle. He had been kind, and caring, and tender, and feeling all of the things that she never thought Chuck Bass was even capable of having, let alone illiciting in other people. She stepped back against the wall of the elevator compartment and covered her hand over her face. He had softly kissed her lips in the middle of the empty room.

It had felt special but that feeling didn't have it's own, neat compartement in her mind. It was completely lacking of a category and it drove her crazy. Was she supposed to treat him differently? Was she supposed to expect more out of him? Should she just pretend it never happened? And quite possibly, the biggest question she had, she didn't even have an inkling of an answer to.

Did she tell Nate?

The bell went off before she was ready and it shook her. Jumping slightly, she opened her eyes as the doors parted revealing the stoic form of her lover, Nate Archibald.

When she saw him, her worries weren't sated, but she had an overflowing feeling of warmth spread across her body. He made her feel like she was home, like she had nothing to worry about. She felt like no one could touch her. He would keep her safe, and she knew that. Seeing his face brought a smile across hers as he held out a single, red rose.

"Hey beautiful." He said.

She took the flower with a blush crossing her cheeks as she stepped in and just wrapped her arms around him. He was well built and incredibly handsome, like a movie star. And what mattered most was that he loved her more than she could expect anyone to love her. He was her home, but Chuck felt good too. How did she handle that?

Nate chuckled as she threw herself into his arms. "Well," He rubbed her back. "I missed you too." His voice was soft as he kissed her shoulder then snuggled his face into her hair. She smelled incredible. It made his stomach tighten in excitement. She was his world and he couldn't deny that anymore. "Are you okay?" He asked, pulling back slightly to look into her face.

Serena nodded and laughed lightly at her outburst. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine just.. I have a lot on my mind."

"Well come in and tell me all about it." He said as he waved his arm out towards the room that he'd set up just for her.

Since she was married, he knew they couldn't go out in public. He also knew that had to be difficult for her to be with a man who couldn't express how he felt in front of the world, but he didn't want her to think that he wasn't going to continue making her feel like a princess. He tapped her cheek and gave her a soft kiss before letting her look in. He'd set up tea light candles around to room to light it up. The rest of the lights were off. In the middle of the room, he had laid out a blanket and in the middle was a bottle of her favorite champagne with two crystal glasses and a basket of grapes, cheese cubes and crackers.

He smiles, "I wanted to take you out to the desert. When I was young, the Captain took my mom to Mount Lemon to watch the sunset on the top. She said it was the most beautiful thing she's ever seen, watching the sky and the earth merge into one."

Serena didn't have any idea what to say. She didn't deserve Nate doing this for her but as he spoke of his story, she felt a flutter of butterflies inside of her. She could imagine everything he spoke about. She could feel the cool breeze from the mountain and the retreating daylight over the horizon. She could see them laying together, wrapped in a blanket as they watched the sun give way to a sky full of stars.

It was beautiful.

She shook her head, "Wow, Nate. I really don't.. know what to say."

She turned into him and softly brushed her lips against his. The moment didn't take away from the feelings she had over the night she spent with Chuck, but it did awaken the feelings of love she had inside of her. Was it even possible to care about two men? It wasn't the same amount of care though. Nate had been her everything for a long time and she only happened to open up to Chuck the other night after hearing his father belittle him.

Pulling away, she looked down. "It's beautiful."

He smiled, "Only the best for you." And he meant it, with every fiber of his being. He gave her another gentle kiss and then motioned towards the blanket. "Have a seat. I'll pour us drinks."

She _really_ didn't deserve this, but she grinned and walked towards what he had set up for her.

* * *

It took awhile but soon Serena had gotten into everything. They drank champagne, he fed her grapes and they laughed again. It felt good. It's been so long since she just laughed and forgot about everything that the one simple act was enough, she was sure, to live on for another couple of weeks. She leaned back against a pillow as his lips pressed against hers.

Her body was always a wave of flames when she felt his hands on her skin. It was something she could never explain any other way but saying it was her body knowing how to react against that of her soul mates.

She rose slightly as his hand moved from her hip to her chest. His fingers slid against the buttons, loosening them one at a time to bear herself to him. She had nothing but trust with Nate. She knew he would never hurt her. She knew that he would keep her safe forever. She knew that if she could wake in his arms every morning, she would never have to worry again. Sometime during the last couple of months, she's given her heart to this man.

Her breath was shaky as he lowered his lips to her neck. His kiss slid along her skin, lowering between her breasts with tender touches the whole way. "I want this forever," He whispered against her flesh as he raised his bright eyes to look at her.

Serena hadn't expected it so she looked down at him, head snug in a nest of her own blonde locks. She saw the way he looked at her and she knew that he meant what he said. He wasn't just saying it in the climax of the moment. He was speaking from the heart. It made her own flutter in her rib cage. She felt warm and content. "I do too." She said softly, moving her hand to brush her fingers through his longer strands of hair.

He hadn't planned on saying this, and he surely hadn't wanted to be that guy that says it before he makes love to his woman, but he felt a rise inside him that was going to explode if he didn't say it. With his body half leaning on top of hers, he reaches up for her hand and moves her fingers from his hair. He brings her palm down to his lips, presses a tender kiss to the soft flesh and as he finds her eyes again, sparkling against the candlelight of the room, he whispers. "I love you, Serena. I think I always have, I just never knew it before."

He pushes up her body a little so he's closer to her face. "But I know it now. And I don't care how long I have to wait for you to get through this publicity marriage, i'm still going to love you at the end."

It was the first time he has said those words out loud and it shakes her down to the core. Not in fear or anxiety. Not in worry or shame. But happiness. Pure happiness. She had never felt this way before but now that she did, she was sure she wasn't going to lose it. All her concerns melted away as she leaned forward and kissed him again. "I love you, too, Nate." The smile widened her face without her even realizing it. "And I always will."

She meant every last word of it. It hadn't even occured to her then how much she knew that Nate was the one for her, but she knew it now. Her heart was erupting with emotion as she leaned in slightly and pressed her mouth to his. He tasted like champagne and grapes, and it was the most amazing thing in the world.

Nate felt complete for the first time in his life. He could have sworn that he was living before but it wasn't until he was experiencing this kind of love that he was sure he was truely alive. As he kissed her, he let his hand slip along her stomach, chest and neck to push her shirt off of her body. Slowly he moved his kisses down from her lips to her neck and lower.

Her body arched against him as he easily unsnapped her front clip bra and stripped it off her. She was beautiful, every last inch of her body. His mouth slipped to the tender parts of her breasts and took her between his lips. He heard her raspy breath and he was sure her eyes were rolling into the back of her head and closing. Then he continued down.

As his hands worked along her body easily, she pushed her hips up to help him slip the skirt off of her. Her body trembled as he kissed from her ankle up to her thigh, and then removed her panties from her hips. She should feel exposed, vulnerable, cold, but she didn't. She was warm and happy, peaceful.

She let her own fingers work along his body to rid him of his clothes until they both lay bare on the soft blanket that she was sure was imported and cost thousands of dollars. But that didn't even matter to either of them in that moment. All that mattered was feeling each other, indulging in the others body.

Nate felt so wound up that he wasn't sure he could hold himself together as he positioned himself against her, Serena's legs curled welcomingly around his hips. He hesitated though to look down at her. He wanted to see that spark of desire in her eyes. He wanted to know that she wanted this, and him, just as much as he wanted her.

There. It was right there, shining back at him as she rose under his body. "I want you," She whispered, curling his palm against the side of her neck to lift herself up and kiss his mouth.

Her body was already trembling with need and passion. She slipped her tongue between his lips, feeling him responding to her touch. Her stomach tightened as she felt him move into her. It was like he was made for her. She moved her face to the nook of his neck and pressed her lips to the skin she found there.

The moans that passed her lips echoed in Nate's ear. She felt perfect for him in every way that he could have ever imagined. He started to move against her slowly, careful not to hurt her. That would be the last thing he'd ever want to happen. He gasped as he felt how incredible she was. Slowly he started to quicken his pace until he was rocking against her. She squirmed beneath his body but curled her nails into his shoulder blades, tightening her thighs at his waist.

The cries caught in her throat as she hung her head back. Sweat beaded at her forehead until she couldn't contain herself any longer and she finally let go. He spilled against her when she cried out. His hand moved to her hip and pushed down, holding her there as he pressed himself deeply inside her body. He wasn't ready to move.

Neither of them wanted him to move.

Serena gasped as she felt the room spinning. This was what living felt like.

* * *

Almost all of the candles had either been blow out or went out on their own. It left the room with a very, barely there glow. Through the window, Serena stared straight over the tops of the buildings and to the sky above. She was content from her head to her toes. Even if Nate couldn't take her to the desert to show her the sunset over the sand, she felt like she's seen it.

The two glasses of champagne were empty and knocked to the side on the blanket. Nothing had been cleaned up but there was no rush. He was alone in here, and no one knew she was nude, curled under a silk sheet against a bed of pillows they had pulled down from the couches.

She smiled as she heard footsteps and rolled her head to look back as Nate came back from the bathroom with his blanket securely around his waist. She giggled as he leaned over and kissed her forehead. "Can I get you anything? Are you thirsty?"

"Some water?" She asked.

He happily obliged and walked to the kitchen where he filled two glasses with some water out of a pitcher he retrieved from the refridgerator. Then he walked back to their makeshift 'nest', handed her one before laying down beside her.

Serena took a sip from the glass and then placed it on the table before she curled on her side and rest against his chest, her hand gently laying atop his stomach. "This was amazing, Nate. Thank you for doing this for me."

He kissed her temple and smiled, "Of course. You know I'd do anything for you." He sipped his water with one arm around her back, gently rubbing against the bare skin. His eyes gazed out at the scene above the city and while he knew they would eventually have to go back to their lives, he couldn't help but wish this could be the way of things for the rest of their lives. He heard her heave a small sigh and knew she was thinking the same thing.

"It will be." He said.

She looked up curiously.

Nate lowered his eyes to catch hers and continued, "Like this, I mean. The two of us. One day." He arched his neck down and kissed her lips tenderly. "I meant what I said." He wanted to make sure she knew that. And that she didn't think it was just something he said in the heat of the moment. "I know I had a lot of time to tell you that before we were--in this situation but.. I did mean it. I do love you."

She felt the smile cross her lips and she nuzzled against his chest. "I meant it too."

He reached back to put his glass on the ground and then, with both hands free, wrapped both of them around her body to warm her. He loved the way that she curled around him. It made his heart beat quicker in his chest.

Serena listened to the soft patter of his pulse against his skin and closed her eyes.

She knew she had to go home, but this felt like home too.

He nuzzled his nose against the top of her head with his eyes closed and just held her. "We only have a couple more months. Then you can get divorced and we can be together for real."

For the first time that night, she hesitated. Pressing her lips together, Serena opened her eyes and stared at the blankets that covered them, not sure which belonged to one or the other. They were just entangled. She tightened her grip softly. This was what she wanted, so why did the thought of leaving Chuck to his own devices worry her.

She thought about the conversation she overheard between Chuck and his father. She remembered the look on Chuck's face. Maybe he hadn't meant to show it but he had been upset and disappointed. He'd looked so sad and unsure of himself. Serena had never seen, nor ever thought she would see, Chuck Bass look like that. Then when he'd danced with her in the hotel and kissed her under the reflection of the moon.. what did all of that mean?

"Nate?"

He was already falling into a comfortable sleep. "Hmm?"

Serena lifted her head and looked up at him. She saw the serene look upon his face and she didn't want to disturb that. Besides, why should she? What happened at the hotel didn't even rate up with what had just happened tonight. And why would she want to upset him by telling him about a kiss that was surely never going to happen again? That would be insane. She just wanted to exist in this moment, live in the contentment and happiness.

She loved Nate, of that she was sure, so she decided not to say anything. "You're perfect." She whispered instead.

He let a lazy smile cross his whole face and he pulled her closer. "No," He said in a voice thick with sleep. "You're just perfect for me." He kissed her and as he felt her body relax against his, he left himself drift off, thinking only of how much he felt and how he knew he had never loved, nor would ever love, a woman as much as he loved Serena.

* * *

**Please read and review. Love it, hate it, just don't be cruel. Thank you so much for the reviews too, guys. It really keeps me going. Thank you. *Rosie**


	7. Avalanche

**A/N: **This AN goes out to Molly, who is my biggest VanArchiBass supporter. Who also helps, when I get sidetracked, to keep me going. Sometimes it feels like there's no time to keep up with stories, but the truth in, she helped remind me just how much we love love love VAB. So this chapter goes out to her. Love you darlin!

I also want to say that from here on out, things are going to get pretty sexual. If that's something that you aren't into, please just don't read.

For those of you who do, thank you. I really hope you enjoy this chapter and please remember to review. It really helps to know what you guys think about what I'm doing. You don't have to like it, just don't be cruel.  
Also, this chapter was named after David Cook's song "Avalanche." I heart it. **Rosie

* * *

Chapter Seven

"Avalance"

_Was it nothing more_

_Than noise inside our heads_

_Crashing Down_

_Crashing Down_

Serena woke up swimming in a sea of heavy blankets. A smile immediately crossed her face as she blinked her eyes towards the window that had a stream of morning light shining in through lace curtains, casting beautiful shadows along the wall. Everything was beautiful about today. Chuck had gone out of town for the night, again, and she'd gotten to spend the evening with the most beautiful man she could think of.

Rolling to the side, she found the bed empty and a frown crossed her face. It was still early so she turned and slipped out of bed. With a robe wrapped around her body, she head down the hallway. The staff had been given the night off and told not to come back until five o'clock this afternoon. She didn't need someone talking about having Nate over.

Tip toeing through the house, she peeked into the kitchen and spotted Nate behind the stove with a bowl of eggs beside him. He scrambled up the ones on the stovetop and then served them on a plate before he spotted her.

"Hey, you ruined the surprise. I was going to bring you breakfast in bed." He said as he put the rest of the egg and milk mixture on the hot surface.

Serena smiled as she walked over to him, leaning against his back as she curled her arms around his stomach and rest her chin against his shoulder. Nate grinned, turned his head to the side and kissed her softly.

"I don't mind." She said softly. "I just don't like waking up in bed without you."

Nate's grin widened, "I don't like waking up without you either."

As she leaned against him, Serena got that devious spark in her eyes. She let her hands slip down his bare stomach and went to his pajama pants, which she untied. She saw him grin before she started kissing his neck and let her fingers slip under the fabric. "I want you," she whispered against his ear. "I woke up wanting you." Sometimes she just couldn't help herself around Nate.

It was like a moth to a flame, she was drawn no matter the cost.

She ran her hand along him and continued to kiss his neck, up to his ear, as the knot in her stomach grew, wanting, begging for more of him, more of his touch. She felt him against her palm and bit down on her bottom lip. Nate's eyes grew heavy and closed for just a second before he remembered he should be more careful with the stove in front of him.

Quickly he pushed the pan off the stovetop, turned the range off and then he turned. The twinkle in Serena's eye was incredible. He saw how much she wanted him in that one look. Ever since the first time he saw Serena van der Woodsen (he wasn't going to call her Serena Bass), he knew that he had to have her. Unlike his other teenage conquests, you could call them, Serena wasn't someone he could just have once and move on from.

She had weaved her place into his heart and he couldn't live without her.

The night before had been soft, and passionate. But now there was nothing soft about it. He wanted her as much as she wanted him, so he just attacked. He stepped in and caught her mouth with his. Her breath was brushed across his lips as she gasped, and Nate backed her up into the wall. One hand cupped under her thigh to raise it at his side.

She was bare under the robe and Nate knew this. He could feel the warmth of her soft body underneath the thin fabric, but taking time to untie the robe was out of the question. His tongue slid against hers, each breath sending fire through their bodies.

Her skin was practically on fire as she pulled her fingertips through his hair. She felt like she could climb the walls with just how much she knew she needed him. "Nate," she gasped as she hung her head back against the wall. It was cold, especially against her heated flesh, but she hardly cared. "I need you." Her voice was raspy as she stretched her neck and he kissed and nipped the tender skin.

Nate could get lost in the way she felt, and that was just fine with him. But when she moaned his name, he was taken over.

Lifting her other leg, he hoisted her from the floor and turned to a table, the nearest stable surface, and he put her on it. He pulled her legs so she was at the edge of it and simply yanked the bottom of the flimsy robe open. Her fingers were already pushing his pajama bottoms to the ground as her mouth found his again.

Serena's heart was racing as Nate closed the distance between their bodies. She cried out, arching her back and knocked a plate and two glasses off. But she didn't care.

Neither Serena or Nate noticed the pair of dark eyes that stood in the doorway to the kitchen. How stupid did they think he was, that he wouldn't notice his wife having an affair. Of course the nuptials had been made up, but that didn't mean Chuck didn't expect his wife to be his. He hadn't even slept with her since they had been married. That wasn't Chuck's modus operandi.

He never took his eyes off of them. His best friend, and his wife. He watched the robe part and let his eyes follow the line of her body as it jerked with Nate's movements. Her voice carried in the empty room and down the equally empty hallways. He watched her as she cried another man's name, enjoyed another man's body. That just was not acceptable.

It was time to teach the new Mrs. Bass a few lessons.

Chuck turned from them and walked to the living room. He busied himself by pouring a glass of whiskey from a crystal container. There was no idea so he took it as is and sat down on the couch, where the sounds of Nate and Serena's love making filled the room. He sat and he waited.

He was a patient man.

* * *

"Well I guess we won't be having this for breakfast," Nate said as he scooped up the broken plates and uncooked pan. He chuckled though because he didn't mind spending the morning making love to Serena instead of eating in bed. He just wanted to spend every day with her. He turned his head as he put the plates in the trash and walked over to where she stood in front of the open refridgerator door.

Serena smiles as she feels his arms wrap around her slender waist. She turns her head to look at him, watching him kiss her shoulder. This was what a marriage was supposed to be like. Unable to get enough of each other, to need the other so much that you could barely breathe. It was Nate she wanted to be with.

"It's ok." She whispers, "I'm not that hungry anymore." Serena easily turns in his arms, wrapping hers around his neck and leans in to kiss him. "How about we go get a shower and freshen up?"

Nate's fingers curl into her golden locks. "I'd like that." He lets his hands then trail down the lines of her body until they reach her hands. He kisses her lips tenderly, feeling his heart jump, and starts to walk out of the kitchen.

He was so wrapped up in her that he didn't even know why she went pale as they walked through the living room. She pulled from him and he perked a brow, "Serena?" She didn't get a chance to reply, and Nate didn't get a second to figure out what was going on before he heard a deep familiar voice that sounded like it was shrouded with razorblades.

"Nathaniel." Chuck speaks slowly. Steady. Calm. He doesn't even look up at them. His concentration stays on his second glass of whiskey. "I assume you won't be staying. I have a car out front to drive you home." Then he dips back into his drink.

Serena still hadn't started breathing yet.

When she'd walked out of the kitchen, she noticed a suitcase before she noticed Chuck sitting there. It was even more frightening that he hadn't said anything. He hadn't lost control. He wasn't yelling. He just sat there. He sounded like he was talking about the weather. And as much as Serena wanted to believe that Chuck hadn't heard them, she knew that she'd been loud.

She bit her lip and looks away from Nate.

Not knowing what to do, Nate just nodded. He started to head towards the bedroom but Chuck finally stood. "Your things have been collected for you, Nathaniel." He nodded towards the foyer. "There."

Nate stared for a minute. He had to tell Chuck that he couldn't help himself. He was in love with Serena and always had been. She was smart and sexy, funny and outgoing. She was perfection, and he had to be with her. "Chuck--"

Chuck however was hardly in the mood to listen to a single word of this. Instead, he turned his back on Nate. "Goodbye, Nathaniel."

"No, I really think you need to listen to--"

He whirled, "I said goodbye." Chuck could very much hold himself together in any normal situation but even in the Bass world, this wasn't exactly a normal situation.

Nate stared at Chuck for a minute before turning to Serena. "Come with me." He said as he took a few steps towards her. He just wanted to take her away from all of this. Faced with their affair becoming public news, he could get her away from here. It wasn't a permanent fix, but it could work for now. He could take her away for awhile. They could be alone and together.

But when Serena looked up, he saw something in her eyes.

"I can't, Nate." She stepped in and put her hands on his wrists. "I need to talk to him. We never talked about this before the ceremony." She didn't necessarily want to discuss this, but she was damn sure going to make sure that Chuck understood their marriage arrangement. "Go ahead and go. I'll talk to you later."

He didn't have to like it but he just nodded. He could see that she was sure of this, so he wouldn't argue. "Call me if you need me." Nate considered just walking towards the foyer but if Chuck over heard he and Serena having sex, there wasn't much reason to pretend he didn't love her. He leaned in and kissed her, then whispered, "I love you."

Serena smiled, for a moment, that worried face breaking around the golden brightness of her happiness. "I love you too." She said, giving his hand a squeeze. She watched him walk away as well. He grabbed his clothes and then slipped out. The door clicked shut and it left Chuck and Serena alone.

She raised her eyes to look at him and flopped her hands at her sides. "Okay, now you need to understand something. We may be married but it was an arrangement and that's it. We aren't some couple that are madly in love."

"Like you and Nate?" Chuck questioned. He downed the rest of the amber liquid and put the glass onto the table before he turned to face the large window panes. His eyes scanned over the tops of the buildings. He wasn't blind. He'd seen the way they looked at each other. He didn't need to have heard the words exchanged between the two. But he was the one who was going to win this. Just like in their younger days, Chuck and Nate were always competing.

This would be no different.

He smirked as his eyes ran along the tops of all the tall buildings. As he stood there, listening to the sound of her uneven breathing, he started to think again about the way she and Nate had looked at each other. There was something in that look that Chuck couldn't totally understand. Maybe it was the love aspect in general. Chuck didn't do love, but for some reason he couldn't understand he wandered what it felt like.

With that realization, Chuck turned, one hand in his pocket and looked at Serena, who seemed to be in a world of her own thoughts. "I wonder how the media would see you if they found out."

Serena stiffened at the mention. She'd been trying to think of something to say but there didn't seem to be anything. He'd caught her and Nate having sex. There wasn't much you could say after that.

Pressing her lips together, she looked up at him. "You wouldn't."

"What's my name?" He asked smoothly, voice pouring the words like wine. "Answer that then ask yourself if I would or wouldn't."

One attribute Chuck had always enjoyed that Serena possessed was her quick anger. It didn't take more than a second for it to kick in. He watched as the nervous slipped over her face and then stubborness take root. Her cheeks flushed slightly and her eyes narrowed, her brows scrunched, and he could already hear the snap in her voice before she even spoke. "I can't believe you. You know that would reflect badly on you as well. The whole fake marriage would come out and your buyers will think that good ole family boy face is just a facade, which it is." Her hands went to her small waist. "Come to think of it, maybe I should just let the cat out of the bag now, that way you can get this ridiculous notion that you have any control over what I do out of your head."

Her golden locks spun around her shoulders as she turned and head towards the door. She had full intentions of letting the world know this was a fraud. She didn't care what kind of backlash she would have to deal with. The Chuck Bass she had seen at the empty hotel, when they had danced and kissed, he wasn't real.

She should have known better.

He takes a few short steps to close the distance between them. As her hand touches the front door knob, Chuck pushes his body against her back, forcing her against the wall. She lets out a grunt and immediately starts to push back, so he curls his fingers around her wrist and spins her.

With her back now against the wall, his body pinning hers to it, he looks down at her.

"Get off of me," Serena hisses, her hands pressed against his chest.

He's still Chuck Bass, and her order has him chuckling. "I love when you squirm against me."

"Chuck!" Her heart starts racing but, she tells herself, it has nothing to do with the tingles that started to shoot up and down her arms.

"Even more when you scream my name."

This time Serena doesn't even think. Without much room to move, she doesn't get the desired impact when she smacks the side of his face. She watches his head slip to the side and he doesn't turn back at first. It keeps her from struggling against him. However, when he did start to look up, she noticed how his hair fell out of place, a strand falling over his left eye. There was something animalistic about the way he looked at her, and it made her knees weak.

But she tried not to let that show.

For as much as she tried, Chuck could still see it. He knew the way a woman in heat looked. Hell, he made most of them feel that way. Serena had so far been the one attainable thing, but he would make her his. He was Chuck Bass, afterall.

He didn't say anything as he looked at her and she stilled. Wetting his lips, he looked down the length of her body in that robe. Knowing that her body had just been possessed by another man's didn't upset him as much as he thought it would. Instead, it made him want her more. But he wouldn't just be sloppy. He was calculated.

"You like the way he touches you?" His voice was simple, and warm.

It was such a change from what she expected that it took Serena a minute to realize what he had said. She was very aware of how close his body was to hers. She could feel the heat radiating from him, and from his gaze. It was almost physical as he looked her over. His eyes were like fingers slowly drawing along the line of her body. Her breath staggered and she tried not to think about that. "I don't see how any of that is your business." She swallowed, trying to get control of herself.

"See, that's where you're wrong." Chuck said as he drew his gaze up from her stomach to her chest, where the robe started to open at the hollow of her neck.

He moved his hands from the wall beside her to gently touch her hips. He wondered if the fabric of her robe was as soft as her skin. He smirked as he drew his fingertip along the sash, towards the knot that cinched the outfit together. "You're my wife. And regardless of the way it came to be, I still find myself curious about what pleases you."

Serena turned her eyes to the side. This time she could feel just how close his fingers were to her. She remembered that first time in the bathtub. Ever since then, she had thought about what he said. He told her that no one was that out of it that they didn't realize someone was touching them. What if he had been right?

And what about the dream she'd had of Chuck taking her body? What had that been about? She had a wonderful man. She had Nate, and she loved him. In her heart, she was sure. So why did she keep thinking about Chuck?

Frustrated at the feelings going through her, she took them out on him.

Her hand flicked up and pushed his away from her. "You saw what pleased me and you sent him out of here, remember?"

Chuck's first response was anger. His first reaction was to hit her, or push her into the wall as hard as he could. He didn't like that she didn't just listen to him or fear him like most people did. However, and this was the confusing part, it was her fire that he was really drawn to. He loved and hated it at the same time.

Not loved. Liked. Respected. Not loved.

Instead of lashing out, he just chuckled and reached up to touch his jaw. It was still in place. Good.

"I do remember." As he lowered his hand, he put it back on the knot of her robe and started to pull at it. The knot slowly started to come undone. "And I also remember that he didn't even think of take you out of your clothes."

Her brain started to yell at her for not moving, so she did. Her fingers curled around his wrist. "Don't.." but her voice wasn't convincing. Not as much as she meant for it to be. How could she even entertain this idea for the smallest second? Nate had just left, and she wasn't this person. She spoke freely about how much she hated those women who let themselves get used by Chuck Bass. She sure as hell wasn't going to become one of them.

While she was thinking through all of it, Chuck just smirked. "With a body like this, it's a sin to keep it covered." His voice lowered a little as he watched the knot come untied. He let the ties fall from his fingers, and as the robe started to come open, her hands reached up to keep it closed.

Finally, she met his eyes. "I said don't."

But she was feeling her reserve depleting. She didn't know if she could manage this. She should leave. If she didn't leave.. well, she couldn't say exactly what would happen, but she did know that it would be exactly what Chuck wanted. Still, she was finding it extremely difficult to turn away from his eyes.

Chuck touched his hand on top of the one of hers that kept her robe closed. He wasn't urging, or tugging. It just rest there. "It's not always about what you say, Serena. You say you don't want me, but I hear you at night. I see your body twisting the sheets when you say my name. You think about me, and no matter what you have to say right now, you want me to put my hands on you. You want to know exactly what it feels like to have me consume you."

His eyes were so intense and she was stuck. She couldn't look away. And while she was worried about what he was saying, wondering if she really said his name at night, she knew she was fighting a losing battle. Her stomach was in knots, her pulse racing, and slowly she let her fingers loosen from the fist she had.

As she did, Chuck started to move her hand away slowly. The fabric was warm, but not as much as her skin. He felt electricity shoot through his whole body as two fingers drew a slow line from her belly button, up between her breasts, then to her neck. There, he curled his hand around the side and slowly pulled her forward.

When she didn't fight him, he brought his mouth down on top of hers. He swallowed the soft moan she made but kept the kiss innocent.

Serena was lost in this sea, swimming in emotions that she couldn't even understand. She knew her body was on fire though, and that the urging desire in the pit of her stomach told her that she needed more. Her breath shook as she tried to deepen the kiss, but he moved from it.

She shivered as his lips came down on her neck instead. Her eyes rolled shut and she bit her bottom lip. She even moved her hands against his chest, but not to push him away this time. Fingers curled around the lapels of his suit jacket and held him close.

Chuck could hear her jagged breath and all he wanted to do was to put her on the ground and take her. He gently bit her neck, feeling her body tremble with the nip. He then let his hand drop away from her neck and moved them to her hips. Slowly he trailed his palms along the curve of her body and back down, over and over until he couldn't stop the need to touch her bare flesh any longer.

Sliding under the silk, he finally felt her skin.

It _was_ softer.

"Chuck.." Serena's voice, while unsteady, also sounded unsure. She couldn't be certain if she was trying to tell him to stop, or to keep going. Part of her knew she wanted more, the other part was afraid of more. What she did know was that her body felt like it wasn't able to hold her up. She took a breath to help steady her but it didn't work.

His hands were experienced and strong, and it made her decision for her. Yes. She wanted more. She moved her grasp from the front of his suit jacket to his back. When he moved his kisses to the other side of her neck, she started to dig her nails through the suit, against his back.

"Chuck." This time she said it with desire, with passion. It wasn't just his name, it was a plea to continue to make her feel like this.

When he heard it, a smile crossed his lips. He slowly leaned back and then looked down the line of her body. Almost painfully slowly, he nudged her robe all the way open so that it fell from her body, exposing all of her to him. From her shapely hips to her beautiful breasts. She was all woman, and in that moment, all his.

It was also all he wanted.

Despite the urging to indulge in all things Serena, Chuck leaned into her ear and whispered, "You didn't think it would be that easy, now, did you?" He stepped back, fixed his suit and then smiled that devilish smile at her.

Her face was dumb-founded.

"You should get dressed." He said as he walked around her. It wasn't easy but Chuck knew how to get what he wanted. He wanted Serena, and now she could spend the entire night thinking about how much she had just admitted to wanting him too.

He was still smirking as he walked into his office, having left Serena standing nude in the other room.


End file.
